the propriety of the word it signifies * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 est parâ— saciet quae oculis est subjecta contuendo suboctum seu dejectuÌ„ premo Beza to beat under the eye and to leave a mark there of redness and blueness The other word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and this properly signifies to bring into subjection it 's a Metaphor took from Oxen whom we bring under the yoke or from any such Creatures whom we enslave or captivate and bring them into subjection for our use and service We should then indeavor so to bring down our bodies and subdue them as to make them serviceable to our souls and subject and obedient to the yoke of Christ if so we have well learn'd the Doctrine of Mortification A learned moral Heathen will condemn many dissolute livers who call themselves Christians and yet live without God in the world I am saith Seneca greater and born to greater things than to be a slave to my body Every Drunkard is a slave to his Cups and every Whoremonger a slave to his Harlot and every covetous Worldling is a slave to his Mammon But our design must not be to enslave our Souls to our Bodies but the design which we drive must be to make our Bodies serviceable to our Souls It was an excellent saying of Ephrem Syrus who flourisht in the third Century after Christ He that feasts his Body and starves his Soul is like him that feasts his Slave and starves his Wife CHAP. XII Vivification of the Fruits of the Spirit is a Character of a sincere Heart THe twelfth and last Character of sincerity Charact. 12. Vivification of the fruits of the Spirit Sect. 1. which I shall only mention is The Vivification of the Fruits of the Spirit After mortification of the deeds of the Body there must necessarily follow the Vivification of the Fruits of the Spirit for where Christ dwells in a Soul by faith and by the influence of his grace the Body is dead as the Apostle saith Rom. 8. 10. because of sin but the spirit is life because of righteousness A Learned and Judicious Writer thus interprets that Scripture Quam vis peccatum morfi nos adjudicet quatenus in nobis remanet primae naturae vitiosibus spiritum tamea Dei esse victore noc obstare quod tantum primitiis donati sumus quia vel una ejus sciatilla viâ—ae semen est Calv. in Loc. Although saith he sin condemns us to death so far as the remainders of corrupt nature and the vitiosity thereof remains in us yet the Spirit is Conquerour wherefore notwithstanding out primitive corruption one spark of the Spirit of God is a seed of life to us though in this world we receive only the first-fruits thereof All those who by nature are dead in trespasses and sins can never be brought from death to life and from the state of nature into the state of grace any other way but by the quickning virtue of Jesus Christ For saith the Apostle You hath he quickned who were dead in your trespasses and sins Such as are now through grace in a state of regeneracy were in their natural condition in a state of unregeneracy and such who are now quickned were formerly in a dead condition As it 's said of the converted Prodigal in the Parable Luke 15. 32. He was dead and is alive again and was lost and is found The Apostle discovers the great difference between the state of regeneracy and unregeneracy and the difference is great as great as the difference between life and death Let 's diligently review the words of the Apostle Wherein Ephes 2. 2 3. in time past ye walked according to the course of this World according to the Prince of the power of the Air the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience Among whom also we had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh fulfilling the desires or wills of the flesh and of the mind and were by nature 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the children of wrath even as others And what is the sole moving cause of all it followeth vers 4 5. But God who is rich in mercy for his great love wherewith he loved us even when we were dead in sins hath quickned us together with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sect. 2. Christ by grace ye are saved Quest But the Question may be askt How may such who are regenerated and quickned by Christ be distinguished from such who are unregenerate and yet dead in their trespasses and sins Answ I Answer as a tree may be known by its fruits which it bears i. e. a good tree by good fruits and a bad tree by bad fruits so may regenerate be distinguished from unregenerate unregenerate bring forth the fruits of the flesh as adultery fornication uncleanness c. Gal. 5. 19 20 21. before mentioned but regenerate persons bring forth the fruits of the Spirit St. Paul gives us a double Catalogue one is short but very comprehensive Ephes 5. 9. The fruit of the spirit is in all goodness righteousness and truth The other is a large Catalogue Gal. 5. 22 23. The fruit of the Spirit is love joy peace long-suffering gentleness goodness faith meekness temperance against such there is no Law If then the fruits of the Spirit exert and manifest themselves in the holiness of our lives and conversations it 's an infallible sign of our vivification by the Spirit of Jesus Christ By those twelve forementioned Characters of a sincere Heart we may and must put our selves upon a strict search and enquiry whether our hearts be sincere and upright towards God We must then with all diligence and impartiality make a strict search into our hearts we must ask What have I done Jer. 8. 6. we must commune with our own hearts Psal 4. 4. and as the Church resolves Lam. 3. 40. Let us search and try our ways and turn again to the Lord. And I am perswaded that if we have one of those Characters forementioned in sincerity and in truth we have the rest for they are all Links of one and the same golden Chain and there 's such a concatenation between them as one cannot be separated from another CHAP. XIII Containing the Comforts pertaining to sincere Christians in their Lives in this World HAving laid down those twelve forementioned Characters and Signs of Sincerity I thence infer this Conclusion That it 's the grand Duty incumbent upon us all and every one in particular to propound the Question as in the presence of God to his own Soul Am I a sincere-hearted Christian yea or no Let us with deliberate thoughts consider of those twelve above-named Signs and Marks of Sincerity and examine our selves by them accordingly herein consists the grand Labour and Work to busie our selves with all frequent and serious self-reflections and heart-examinations and let us as one man every one particularly propound the Question
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
partem amici Cic. off lib. 1. these are so far below a Christian spirit as they come short of a moral Heathen For one of the best of Heathen Orators cites Plato and commends his saying We are not only born for our selves but our Country our Parents our Friends challenge a part of us And Sympathies and Antipathies are critical Dispensations and discriminate Friends from Enemies If then our Brethren be in adversity then we should mourn with them if they be in prosperity we should rejoyce with them Solomon tells us Eccles 3. 11. that God hath made every thing beautiful in his time also he hath set the world in their heart And that shews the beauty of Providence for God hath abundantly discovered his beautiful ordering of all the affairs of the World representing his infinite Wisdom and gracious Providence Now seasons of Providence are to be observed and we ought to act accordingly as the same Wise man exhorts Eccles 7. 14. In the day of prosperity be joyful but in the day of adversity consider God also hath set the one over against the other to the end that man should find nothing after him And as we ought to take notice of Providences in general so we should take notice of the particular conditions of others as considering that all things come by a Providence either permitting or approving No sin is approved of but altogether abhorred by Almighty God yet God permits that which he approves not of For the greatest of sins which the Jews committed in embrewing their hands in the blood of Christ came to pass by Divine permissive Providence as St. Peter spake Acts 2. 23. Him being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledg of God ye have taken and by wâ—cked hands have crucified and slain That which was an Act of the highest Malice in the Jews was an Act of great Providence in God Wherefore though we cannot though if we could we ought prevent and hinder the commission of sins in others yet be they never so bad we ought heartily to mourn for them So did Lot mourn for the abomination of the Sodomites though they were ripe for vengeance by reason of their exceeding great wickedness as if they had attained unto the highest degree of sinning yet Lot grieved and mourned for them who no way grieved nor mourned for themselves Of Lot's mourning for those wicked Sodomites St. Peter sets an especial remark 2 Pet. 2. 7. And delivered just Lot vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked The word imports more then an ordinary sorrow and vexation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Significas opprimi fatigari graâ—â—ter assligi Gerh. in Loc. for their wickedness for it signifies to be oppressed wearied and grievously afflicted And it 's further added For that righteous man dwelling among them in seeing and hearing vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds 2 Pet. 2. 8. And here is another word expressing a greater grief or vexation the word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The word implies a sifting and searching so in Aristophanes others note upon the word So that many have been question'd by such searching and torturing to force confession 2. The word signifieth to Vid. Rev. 14. 10. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vex rack and torment and it expresseth the torments of Hell Lot was as it were upon the rack and for the time imagin'd himself to be so tormented in his Soul as if he was in Hell by seeing and hearing those abominations of the Sodomites And as Lot so the Prophet Jeremy was a true Mourner for the sins of others he wept abundantly for the dreadful judgments inflicted on the Israelites his Rhetorick is rais'd to a high pitch My bowels my bowels I am pained at my very heart my heart maketh a noise in me I cannot hold my peace because thou hast heard O my Soul the sound of the Trumpet the alarm of War Jer. 4. 19. And he strains himself to a higher piece of Rhetorick Jer. 9. 1. O that my head were waters and mine eyes a fountain of tears that I might weep day and night for the slain of the daughter of my people But he not only weeps for the judgments but in an especial manner for their sins Jer. 13. 17. But if ye will not hear it my Soul shall weep in secret places for your pride By what hath been mention'd let 's utterly detest the careless heedless temper of Cain Gallio c. and let us look upon our selves concerned not only to mourn for and bewail our own sins but mourn for and bewail the sins of others also CHAP. VI. Shewing that all sincere-hearted Christians labour to approve their Hearts towards God Sect. 1 THE sixth Character of a sincere-hearted Charact. 6. A sincere heart approves it self Christian is to approve himself to God and to put himself in the integrity of his heart upon the test trial and examination of God himself who only knows the heart and alone can search it thorowly Thus David durst not stand upon his own searching but casts himself altogether upon God's search and trial Judg me saith he O Lord for I have walked in mine integrity I have trusted also in the Lord therefore I shall not slide Examine me O Lord and prove me try my reins and my heart Psal 26. 1 2. Likewise in another Psalm David puts himself upon a farther test and trial Psalm 139. 23 24. Search me O God and know my heart try me and know my thoughts And see if there be any wicked way in me and lead me in the way everlasting Job makes his appeals and applications unto God alone Behold saith he my witness is in Heaven and my record is on high Job 16. 19. Hence he discover'd a resolution truly heroical I will not remove my integrity from me My righteousness I hold fast and will not let it go my heart shall not reproach me so long as I live Job 2â— 5 6. Variety of the foulest slanders are cast upon the people of God as Histories mention even such lies and calumnies were invented as bad as the Father of lies could invent Nero when Rome was burnt imputed the burning of it to the Christians and the Romish Gun-powder Traytors had their Treason took effect were resolved to have laid the whole Treason upon such whom they maliciously stigmatized with the nick-name of Puritans It 's an old Policy though there is not one dram of honesty in it of Machiavel To accuse Auducter criminare aliquid haerebit boldly and cast dirt enough hoping that some may stick on Yet notwithstanding all those whose hearts are sincere and upright towards God do raise to themselves a ground of strong consolation from the testimony of a good conscience that notwithstanding humane infirmities the whole frame vergency and resolution of their hearts is to walk in the fear of God all the day long The Apostle speaks in his own
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
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
persons nor to their sacrifices Thus the Lord expostulates the case with them Isai 1. 12 13. When ye come to appear before me who hath required this at your hand to tread my courts And the Lord forbids them to bring such kind of sacrifices verse 13. Bring no more vain oblations incense is an abomination unto me Quest But might not they truly have replied that incense oblations sacrifices c. were all of Divine institution God commanded them all why then should not they yield obedience to the command accordingly Answ I answer They were commanded to offer sacrifice but they offered sacrifice in a wrong manner For in every service which we perform to God we should do it in a right manner and for a right end not only the action it self but the manner of performing it must be regarded The Jews rested only in the Ceremonial service and in the multitude of external sacrifices having no regard at all to their own hearts and lives these they should have offered up to God pure and holy but their hearts were exceeding foul and their hands were full of bloud therefore God rejected both their persons and their sacrifices For thus saith the Lord verse 15. When ye spread forth your hands I will hide mine eyes from you yea when you make many prayers I will not hear your hands are full of bloud First then before we can offer any acceptable sacrifice unto God we must set upon the practice of mortification and slaughter of all our sins Wherefore the special charge of the Apostle is Col. 3. 5. Mortisie therefore your members which are upon the earth fornication uncleanness in ordinate affection evil concupiscence and covetousness which is idolatry Not a◠lust may be spared All carnal lusts may be compared to those brats of Babylon which are appointed for utter destruction To this purpose we may apply that of the Psalmist Psal 137. 8 9. O daughter of Babylon who art to be destroyed happy shall he be that rewardeth thee as thou hast rewarded us Happy shall he be that taketh and dasheth thy little ones against the stones Quest Some make it a Question though good Christians make no Question of it at all Whether self-murther be lawful Answ For Answer It 's murther in the highest degree and an apparent breach of the sixth Commandment Thou shalt do no murther As no murther should be committed against another much less against a mans self But for every one of us to slay our sins and destroy our corruptions is no self-murther for then a Christian lives best of all when he hath slain his sins and corruptions We must make it our daily prayer that God would destroy our sins and save our Souls Every sin we must account a Benhadad design'd for destruction Therefore Benhadad being appointed by God for utter destruction Ahab by sparing him brought inevitable ruine upon himself and his people For thus saith the man of God to Ahab by the word of the Lord 1 Kings 20. 42. Because thou hast let go out of thy hand a man whom I appointed to utter destruction therefore thy life shall go for his life and thy people for his people If then we give quarter to any one sin and hug it in our bosomes we take a speedy course to destroy our own Souls for by shewing foolish pity to spare any one sin we prove cruel to our precious Souls we our selves being the greatest enemies to our selves Sect. 3 Farther we must take special cognizance of such sins as either are secret unknown to any man or else such as come not within the verge of the punishment of the Law of man as wanton and amorous glances vain frothy discourse and covetousness on which God sets a peculiar brand of infamy Col. 3. 5. and calls it Idolatry Now Idolatry is a sin of a high aggravation for it indeavors to rob God of his honour and to ascribe that honour and glory to Mammon and worldly rich men which is only due to the eternal Creator God blessed for ever Likewise we must observe what a wide difference the Apostle makes between carnal living and the practice of mortification the difference is as great as between life and death and so are the different effects and issues of both For saith the Apostle Rom. 8. 13. Ifye live after the flesh ye shall die but if ye through the spirit do mortifie the deeds of the body ye shall live We read of that glorious Victory which the Lord wrought for Israel against Amalek an inveterate enemy after this Victory was obtained we read that Moses built an Altar and called the name of it Jehovah Nissi for he said because the Lord hath sworn that he will have war with Amalek from generation to generation Exod. 17. 15 16. Quest The Question may be askt Why was war to be made and continued from generation to generation against Amalek Answ The Answer is obvious they were cruel and bloudy Enemies destitute of all manner of mercy and bowels of compassion and therefore God chargeth Moses to make a Record of this signal Deliverance And the Lord said unto Moses write this for a memorial in a Book and rehearse it in the ears of Joshua for I will utterly put out the remembrance of Amalek from under Heaven Quest But it will be further askt Wherein consisted the particular sin of Awalek Answ For Answer Moses gives a full relation Deut. 25. 17 18 19. Remember what Amalek did unto thee by the way and smote the hindmost of thee even all that were feeble behind thee when thou wast faint and he feared not God Therefore it shall be when the Lord thy God hath given thee rest from all thine enemies round about in the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee for an inheritance to possess it that thou shalt blot out the remembrance of Amalek from under Heaven thou shalt not forget it As war by Gods appointment should be waged against Amalek so it 's the appointment of God that we should continue fighting and warring against our sins and corruptions In this case onely it's lawful to perpetuate a deadly fewd and remain alwaies implacable and irreconcileable against all our sins we must not make the least peace nor admit of any parly for peace for any sin though it be of long standing custom and antiquity and pleasing to flesh and bloud To what hath been mentioned I will add for further explication two significant words viz. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of which the Apostle makes an emphatical mention 1 Cor. 9. 27. But I keep under my body and bring it into subjection lest that by any means when I have preached to others I my self should be a cast-away The first word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 rendred I keep under my body but there lies in the word a greater emphasis for the word signifies to beat the body black and blue and further yet in