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 Early English books online. (EEBO-TCP ; phase 2, no. A44439) Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 105935) Images scanned from microfilm: (Early English books, 1641-1700 ; 1617:6) A second volume of discourses or sermons on several scriptures by Ezekiel Hopkins ... Hopkins, Ezekiel, 1634-1690. [13], 314, [2], 82 p. Printed by E.H. for Nathanael Ranew ..., London : 1693. Each sermon has special t.p. Contains engraved portrait frontispiece. Contains errors in pagination. Reproduction of original in the British Library. eng Sermons, English -- 17th century. eebo A second volume of discourses or sermons on several scriptures. By Ezekiel Hopkins, late L. Bishop of London-Derry. Hopkins, Ezekiel, 1693 429 88496 790 0 0 0 0 0 89.27 D The rate of 89.27 defects per 10,000 words puts this text in the D category of texts with between 35 and 100 defects per 10,000 words. 2008-12 Assigned for keying and markup 2009-01 Keyed and coded from ProQuest page images 2012-05 Sampled and proofread 2012-05 Text and markup reviewed and edited 2013-02 Batch review (QC) and XML conversion

A Second Volume of DISCOURSES OR SERMONS ON SEVERAL SCRIPTURES .

By EZEKIEL HOPKINS , late L. Bishop of London-Derry .

LONDON , Printed by E. H. for NATHANAEL RANEW , at the King's Arms in St. Paul's Church-Yard , 1693.

portrait of Ezekiel Hopkins

EZEKIEL HOPKINS EPISCOPUS DERENSIS .

Printed for Nathanael Ranew

THE EPISTLE TO THE READER . Christian Reader ,

THE former Writings of this Reverend Prelate , already Published , having found so general an Acceptance both among the Clergy and Laity , hath given an Encouragement to make as publick these following Discourses ; which are as truly his Lordship's , as the former , written with his own Hand , and from whom also they were received .

It cannot be expected that any thing which is posthumous , should in every Sentence and Passage thereof be as exact and accurate as what is published by the Authors themselves ; but yet this may be said for the following Sermons , that they do as really and truly shew whose they were , as any of those Things already published by himself ; and unto my own knowledge there are very many yet living , who , with great pleasure and benefit heard them preached , who can and will attest , that they were the Reverend Prelate's , whose Name they bear .

Were it my Design in this Preface , I might enlarge both in the Praises of the Author , and in the Commendation of the following Discourses ; but as the Author sought not the Praises of Men , in doing his Master's Work , when living ; so is he now above the Praises of Men , being dead , having , I doubt not , received the Euge of a good and faithful Servant . Let his Works therefore praise him in the Gate .

As for the Sermons , they will speak for themselves unto any indifferent and judicious Reader , the Subject-Matters of ehem being very useful unto all that shall peruse them ; and more especially in in some Cases ; See the Sermons on Heb. 9.27 . Ex. gr . When Men are eager and inordinate in their pursuits after this World , as if their Happiness were wrapt up in it ; what can be more seasonably press'd upon them , to take off the edge of their Desires after them , than to present to their most serious thoughts the Consideration of their own Mortality ?

Sermons on Mot. 5.19 . And when among Professors of Religion , multitudes perish by adventuring upon those Sins which the World account small and little ; what can be more effectual to deter Sinners in their way to Hell and Destruction , than to offer unto their Consciences the Consideration of the infinite Evil and Danger there is in Sin .

Sermons on Psalm 19.13 . And because many have so accustomed themselves unto a sinful Course , that they are become daringly bold and presumptuous to sin notwithstanding all Restraints ; what can be of more Use to awaken such secure sinners , than to represent to them the Danger of presumptuous Sins , with the heinous Aggravations thereof ?

And though where Christians are diligent in observing their Hearts and Ways , Sermons on 1 Thes. 5 . 2● . that they may be kept from presumptuous sins , yet may be led into temptation of sin , not watching against the Occasions and Appearances of Evil ; nothing can be more advantageous in this Case , than Directions how they may be preserved from them .

And lastly , Sermo● on Isa ●3 . 25 . When notwithstanding a Christian's greatest Circumspection to preserve himself from sin , yet through Ignorance and Infirmity , he may fall into sin daily ; what more welcome Message unto such mourning souls , than to hear of Pardon and Forgiveness from the free Grace of God , in and through the Blood of Jesus ?

All which are the Subject-Matters of the ensuing Discourses : And that they may be blessed to all good Ends and Purposes , they shall be followed with the sincere Prayers of the Publisher . Farewell .

THE CONTENTS OF THE BOOK . CONTAINING The Titles of the several Subjects Treated of therein ; with the Texts of Scripture from which they are handled . I. A Discourse on Man's Mortality ; in Two Sermons , from Hebr. 9.27 . It is appointed unto Men once to die , and after that the Judgment . II. The great Evil and Danger of little Sins , in four Sermons , from S. Matth. 5.19 . Whosoever therefore shall break any one of these least Commandments , and shall teach men so , he shall be called the least in the Kingdom of Heaven . III. Of abstaining from the Appearance of Evil ; in Two Sermons , on 1 Thes. 5.22 . Abstain from all appearance of Evil. IV. The Nature , Danger , Aggravations and and Cure of Presumptuous sinning ; with the difference between Restraining and Sanctifying Grace , in effecting thereof ; in six Sermons , from Psalm 19.13 . Keep back thy Servant from Presumptuous Sins ; let them not have dominion over me . V. Of Pardon and Forgiveness of Sin ; in Four Sermons , from Isaiah 43.25 . I , even I , am he that blotteth out thy Transgressions for my own sake , and will not remember thy Sins .
THE Vanity of the World , with other Sermons ; in Octavo . An Exposition on the Ten Commandments , with other Sermons ; in Quarto . An Exposition on the Lord's Prayer ; with a Catechistical Explication thereof , by way of Question and Answer , for the instructing of Youth : To which are added two Discourses ; the one concerning the Mystery of Divine Providence ; the other , concerning the excellent Advantages of reading and studying the Holy Scriptures , in Quarto . Discourses , or Sermons on several Scriptures ; Vol. 1. Containing , The Folly of Sinners in making a Mock of Sin ; from Prov. 14.19 . True Happiness ; from Rev. 22.14 . The Resurrection of Jesus Christ ; from Acts 2.24 . Brotherly Admonition ; from Lev. 19.17 . The Dreadfulness of God's Wraeh against Sinners ; from Heb. 10.30 , 31. in Octavo . A Second Volume of Discourses , or Sermons , on several Scriptures ; in Octavo . All Five written by Ezekiel Hopkins , late Lord Bishop of London-Derry , and sold by Nathanael Ranew , at the King's-Arms in S. Paul's Church-Yard .

A DISCOURSE ON Man's Mortality , IN TWO SERMONS ON HEBR. IX . 27.

It is appointed unto Men once to die ; and after this the Judgment .

By EZEKIEL HOPKINS , late Lord Bishop of London-Derry .

LONDON , Printed by E. H. for NATHANAEL RANEW , at the King's Arms in St. Paul's Church-Yard , 1693.

A DISCOURSE ON MAN's MORTALITY , FROM HEB. IX . 27.

It is appointed unto Men once to die ; and after this the Judgment .

A Sermon of Death hath then a double Advantage to make deep impressions upon us , An Introduction . when it is attended with a Spectacle of Mortality : Were there but the sad Pomp of a Funeral now presented before you , a dead Corpse brought to be interred , a Grave digged through into the Earth , dry and rotten Bones lying scattered about the Mouth of it in fearful confusion , a solemn Train of Mourners tolled along the Streets by the doleful Moan of a Bell ? Did you see the Dead laid down in the Dust , the Place of Darkness and Silence , their Friends groaning out their last Farewell , Clods of Earth falling in upon them , and striking a horrid murmur upon their Coffins : Had your Affections but such a Preparatory as this is , possibly this might more easily work and move upon them ; for it must needs make Men serious and pensive to think , this is but the Pattern of what must befall themselves , and that all this must shortly be acted upon them , that they now see done unto others : But since this Day presents us with no such Solemnity , some perhaps may wonder that I have chosen this Text and Subject of Mortality to treat upon . Indeed Custom hath made it almost improper to preach of Death without a Funeral , and to speak to Men of their last End and Dissolution , without setting before their Eyes an Example of it : Look well therefore one upon another ; what are we all as it were , but so many Corpses , so many Spectacles of Mortality , rather to be numbred among the Dead than among the Living ; every Day and Hour wears away part of our Lives ; and so much of them as is already spent , so far are we already dead and buried . This present moment is the longest measure of our Lives ; what is past is dead to us , and what is to come is not yet born , how soon God may put a final Period to our present state , how few times more our Pulses may beat , and this busie Breath in our Nostrils return to us again , we know not ; so frail and so uncertain are our Lives , that this may be truly a Funeral Sermon to some one of us before the close of it . Since then we are all of us thus subject to the stroke of Death , it can never be unseasonable to warn you , that you be not surprized , and taken by it unprovided .

In the Words now read , you have the great Statute-Law of Heaven ; that Law that God hath passed upon all the Chil-of Men ; and that is , That it is appointed to them once to die .

Now , that I may make way to press upon you the serious consideration of your own Mortality , let me briefly mark out some things that tend to the Explication of the Words . And ,

First , In that the Proposition is laid down in the Text indefinitely , It is appointed unto men ; it is that which is equivalent to an Universal , and reacheth to all men ; It is appointed to all men once to die . We read of two only in the whole Book of God that were exempted by an extraordinary Grace , and peculiar Priviledge from this great Law of Dying , and they were Enoch and Elias . Of Enoch it is said , Gen. 5.24 . That he walked with God , and he was not ; for God took him . And of Elias it is said , 2 Kin ▪ 2.11 . That he went up by a Whirlwind into Heaven . The great God , after a strange and unusual manner tackt their temporal and eternal Life together , making their Time run it self into Eternity without any period or interruption . The Apostle also tells us , 1 Cor. 15.51 , 52. That all shall not die ; to wit , at the last Day , at the last appearing of Jesus Christ , there shall be a World full of Persons that shall not taste of Death . All shall not die ; but all shall be changed , in a moment , in the twinckling of an Eye . These are exempted , and being excepted , it is certain all the Generations of Men , from the first Creation , to the last Consummation of all things , are all appointed by God unto Death .

Secondly , All must die once . All must die once ; but Believers do not die the second Death . There is frequent mention made in Scripture of the first and second Death . The first Death is the separation of the Soul from the Body : The second Death is the separation of the Soul from God . As the Union of the Soul and Body is the Life of Man ; so the Union of God with the Soul , is the Life of the Soul . Now Believers do not die this second Death ; Rev. 20.8 . for on such , as the Apostle speaks , the second Death hath no power : They are still united unto God after an unconceivable and ineffable manner . As when Christ lay in the Grave , though his Soul was truly separated from his Body , yet both Soul and Body were hypostatically united to the Godhead ; so also , though the natural Union between a Believer's Soul and Body , be dissolved by Death , yet both Soul and Body continue mystically united unto Christ , even in their separation one from another . It is not therefore this second , but the first Death that all are appointed unto . The Hand of Death must untie those secret and sweet Bands , those vital Knots that fasten Soul and Body together , must fall asunder one day in every Man .

All Men must die , because Death is the punishment of Sin . Thirdly , It is appointed unto every Man to undergo this first Death . It is decreed and ordained by God , and that not upon the Account of any natural Necessity ; but for the Punishment of Sin . The Apostle tells us plainly , That by Sin Death entred into the World . Death therefore is not so much a Debt due to Nature , as a Debt due to the avenging Justice of God ; for though Man at first was created in pure Nature , yet was he also created in a deathless State ; and Death siezeth upon us , not as we are Men , but as we are Sinners , liable to the Curse of the Covenant of Works , containing in it that Threatning , In the day that thou eatest thereof , thou shalt surely die . It is true , Adam , even before he sinned , had in him the contemperation of the same contrary Qualities that we now have ; and so , at least , had also the remote Principles of Death ; but yet it is probable that he was created with such a Priviledge , that he might by his own Will sway and over-rule the Jars and Discords of his elementary constitution , and continue himself in Life as long as he should continue himself in Obedience ; however , whether it was so , or otherwise , yet certain it is that Death came into the World as the punishment of Sin : So then it is not primarily Man's Nature , but Man's Sin , and the Curse of the Law taking hold of him , that brought in this necessity of dying . Sin is not only the Sting , but the Cause of Death ; and it gives it not only its Terrour , but it s very Being also . And therefore it is somewhat remarkable , that among all the Creatures in the World , Man only is termed Mortal ; most certain it is that other Creatures decay and perish as well as he ; yet among all perishing things , Man only hath that wretched denomination of being Mortal ; and there is good reason for it , since he alone , of all perishing things , being created immortal , voluntarily subjected himself unto Death , and by his own Fault brought upon himself that Name of Mortal , as a Brand of perpetual Infamy .

And thus now I come to the Subject that I intend to insist upon , and that is , The Unavoidableness and Certainty of Death .

To go about to prove this , were to lose so much time ; every one grants he must die . All other Questions about Man , are answered by Peradventures : If it be demanded , Whether such an Embryo shall see the Light ? What 's the Answer , but , perhaps it shall , perhaps it shall not : If it be born , and it be asked , Whether it shall live , and grow up to Age ? Why , perhaps so , perhaps otherwise : If it grow up to Age , and Enquiry be made , Shall it be rich , or shall it be poor ? honourable , or despised ? learned , or ignorant ? What 's the Answer ? Only , perhaps it shall , perhaps not . But if it be asked , Whether it shall die ? The Answer now is , Yes ; it is certain , without any Peradventure ; there is no doubt at all of this ; It is appointed by God for Men once to die . And therefore though Physicians have written Books of preserving of Health , yet never any wrote Books of avoiding of Death . We need no other proof of Man's Mortality , but only to search into the Records of the Grave ; there lie Rich and Poor , Strong and Weak , Wise and Foolish , Holy and Prophane ; the Rubbish of ten thousand Generations heaped one upon another , and this Truth that all must die , written indelibly in their Dust .

That therefore that I shall do , shall be in an Applicatory Way , to make some Reflections upon the brutish Stupidity of Men , who , though they know themselves Mortal , yet thrust from themselves the Thoughts of Death , and neglect due Preparations for it . Men live in the World as if they were arbitrary of their own Time , as if they should never die and come to Judgment . Oh the beastly Sottishness of Men , who , though they see Multitudes cut down daily by the hand of Death , round about them , yet they live carelesly and presumptuously , as if they were priviledged Persons , and Death durst not touch them . Should we make Enquiry into the Causes of this gross Stupidity and Sottishness , perhaps we should find it to proceed from some of these following .

Reasons why men put off the thoughts of Death . Because they are drown'd in the affairs of the World . First , The generality of men are so immers'd and drowned in the Affairs and pleasures of Life , that all serious thoughts of Death and preparations for it are swallowed up and devoured by them : Their minds are taken up about other things , and their time spent upon other matters ; like an heap of Ants that busily toil to gather in their Provision , not regarding the foot that is ready to tread upon them ; so is it with most men , they are taken up with impertinencies and vain things : One contrives how he may melt away his days in Luxury and Pleasure , and with variety of invented Delights imp the wings of time that in their apprehensions makes but slow hast , that so their days and hours may roll away the faster ; these are such Prodigals of their time , and lavish it away at that rate , as if their stock would last as long as Eternity it self . Some are busily climbing up the sleep ascent of Honour and Dignity , and are so taken up in seeking after promotions and new Titles that they forget their old stile of mortal creatures . Others are plotting with the Fool in the Gospel , how they may grow rich , and lay up goods for themselves for many years as they fansie , when yet they know not but God may take away their Souls from them this very night ; and what then remains to them of all that they have thus greedily scraped together . O vain and foolish men , are these the things you set your hearts upon ; must the World drink up all your thoughts , and Death that shortly will snatch you from all your enjoyments here below be forgotten by you .

Secondly , Men put off their preparation for Death because they look upon it as a far off . Men put off the thoughts of Death and their preparations for it , because they generally look upon it as a far off . This is the greatest sottishness in the World , and yet most men are too guilty of it . Those that are young and in the prime of their Days ; if it be askt them what they think of Death , they will readily Answer , that they think they ought of right and course to live till they are aged : And they that are aged will tell you their weaknesses and decays are not so many or so great , but they may well weather away a few more years . Those that are healthful and strong think surely they need not prepare for dying till God by some sickness sends them a summons , and those whom God is pleased to vouchsafe a summons by Sickness and Distempers , alas they think that it is yet possible for them to escape from them again . And thus all are ready to thrust Death from them , and to put the Evil Day a far off : And though God hath told out to them but a few days or hours , yet they liberally and bountifully reckon upon Years and Ages , as if their time were not in God's hands but their own . It is a true saying , that usually the hopes of a long Life , is the Cause of an Evil Life . Suppose now that every one of us knew for a certainty that our lives must run out with the Glass that is before us , that at the end of the hour God would strike us all dead upon the place , should we not all of us have more lively apprehensions of Death and Eternity than ever yet we have had ; should we not pour out our Souls before God requires them from us in holy Affections and fervent Prayers ; should we give scope to the gaddings of our Thoughts , and the vanity of our Hearts ; should we think of such a vain Pleasure , or such a worldly Employment , if God now from Heaven should speak audibly to us and bid us give an account of our Stewardship , for we must be no longer Stewards , no certainly it is impossible that men should thus behave themselves : And why , Sirs , is it not so with you always , for ought you know that Film and Bubble that holds your Lives , may be now a breaking , your Graves may be ready to be digging , and the last Sand in your Glass may be now a running ; however certain it is , it cannot be long before it will be so with all of us : Did we but seriously consider by what small pins this frame of Man is tacked together , it would appear to us to be no less than a Miracle that we live one day , yea one hour to an end .

Thirdly , The thoughts of Death being terible , makes men put off their preparation for it . Men generally put off the thoughts of Death and their preparation for it , because of those frightful terrors , and that insupportable dread that such apprehensions bring with them . Death is that which above all things Humane Nature most abhors : Oh! to think of the separation of those near and dear companions , the Soul and Body , of the debasement , dishonour and horrour of the Grave , that there we must lie in a Bed of stench and rottenness under a coverlet of Worms crawling upon us , consuming and mouldring away to dust in oblivion and forgetfulness : Oh! these are too sad and Melancholy Thoughts for the Jovial World to entertain and dwell upon : But though the consideration of these things are very unwelcome , yea , very dismal unto the minds of sinners , yet is there far worse behind then all this still , and that which carries in it far greater terrour and amazement , and that is the sin that deserves Death , and the Hell that follows it , for as the Apostle says , 1 Cor. 15.56 . the sting of Death is sin . And it s no wonder that Men who are conscious to themselves of condemning guilt , dare not think of standing before the dreadful Tribunal of God ; and Death now is God's Serjeant to Arrest them and to bring them thither , they cannot bear the thoughts of Eternal Vengeance and prepared Torments to be for ever inflicted on them by the Almighty Power of an incensed God , and therefore it is no wonder that they put far from them the thoughts of Death , because their Consciences tell them that that Day whensoever it comes will be to them an Evil Day .

Many more Reasons might be given of this brutishness of men in putting off the thoughts of Death and preparations for it , but these shall suffice .

The next thing that I shall do shall be to lay down some Considerations that may fore-arm Christians against the Fears and Terrours of Death , Considerations to arm men against the fears of Death . and make them willing to submit unto this law of Dying , unto which God hath subjected all men .

And First , The soul is immortal , and parting with this , it enters into a better life . If the Soul be immortal as certainly it is , and that parting from this , it enters upon a better Life than this , we may well then be contented to Die upon that account . No man says a Roman Author thinks Death is much to be avoided , since Immortality follows Death . I am very sensible how hard a task it is to perswade men to be willing to Die , but yet let me ask you , if you are believers , ( for in this I speak only unto such ) what is there in Death that is so terrible to you ? I know it is monstrous and full of horrour if we consider nothing but the Corruption of the Flesh , the gastly paleness , the stiff , cold and grim visage , the distorted Eyes and trembling Limbs of Dying Persons : And afterwards think of the stench and filthiness of the Grave , and lastly the dissipation of the visible part of Man : All these Considerations make Death very terrible and full of horrour to us . But now he that shall consider after all this , his spiritual & invisible part , what can he see in Death that is not very desirable to him ? the Body rests from its labours , and the Soul enjoys its reward in Heaven . If you are hereby taken away from conversing with men , yet the Soul is elevated to an acquaintance with Angels , that is still alive in its own Nature ; the Soul lives for ever , being placed above the common Arrests of Death .

We find to this purpose after that God had tryed the patience of Job by the loss of all his substance , and afterwards of all his Children also , he restores to him double whatever he had taken from him , Job 42. ●0 . so we read in the Holy Story , the Lord gave unto Job twice as much as he had before . Now whereas at first Job had three thousand Camels , God restores to him six thousand ; whereas before he had seven thousand Sheep , God restores to him fourteen thousand ; and so of all the rest double the number of what he lost : But when God comes to recompence to him the loss of his Children , which doubtless were of far greater value than all the rest ; whereas he had seven Sons and three Daughters , God restores to him the same number again , not double in these as he did in all the rest : And wherefore did God double his Camels , his Sheep , and his Oxen , and not his Children ? why , the Reason was , because his Children were not so dead as were his Camels , and the rest of his brute Creatures , their Souls remain'd Immortal and Entire still after Death : So that God in giving Job seven Sons and three Daughters did double them , notwithstanding , though he gave him no more than he had at first . So here though we Die , yet Death doth us no injury ; our better part survives , and if we are Believers , it survives in such unconceivable Joys , as that all the pleasures of the World , are but Misery and Wretchedness compared to them .

A Christian's Hope cannot be accomplished but by dying . Secondly , The whole Life of a Christian is founded upon a Hope that cannot be accomplished but by dying . And if so , that Mans Mistake must needs be inexcusable , who abhors that which alone can bring him to the possession of his Hopes and Desires . Christians , what is it that you hope for ? Is it not to arrive at Glory , with an innumerable Host of Angels , and the Spirits of just Men made perfect ? to see God , and to rejoyce in him at a nearer hand than you now do here below ? to be for ever blessed in the close Embraces of the sovereign Good ? And what other way is there of obtaining this , but only by dying ? Death is now made to us an In-let to Glory , the very Gate to Heaven . It is therefore unreasonable to fear that which is the only way to obtain that we hope for .

Death is a quiet sleep Thirdly , This Death , though so much dreaded , is no other than a quiet Sleep . So the Scripture often represents it to us , under the Notion of Sleep . Them that sleep in Jesus shall God bring with him . Sleep is the natural resemblance of Death . Sleep and Death are very near a-kin : When we are asleep , we see not , we hear not , all our Senses are lock'd up from the enjoyment of any worldly Delights ; we take no comfort in our Friends , in our Riches , or Estates ; all these are cancell'd out of our Minds : and what more doth Death do than cancel these things out of Men's Memories ? And yet the weary Labourer lays himself down with contentment , to take his Sleep until the Morning ; and why may not we also lay down our selves with the same peace and contentment in our Graves , to take our Rest and Sleep until the Morning of the Resurrection ? Indeed the Sleep of Death is different from natural Sleep , since that deprives us of natural Light ; but this Sleep of Death brings us to the vision of true inaccessible Light . What then is there in death , that we should stand in dread of it ? Why should that be feared by those for whom the sting of it is already taken out ? Such may safely take this Serpent into their bosoms ; for though it hiss at them , yet it cannot wound or hurt them ; nay , instead of wounding them , it is reconciled to them , and become one of their party . The Apostle therefore reckoning up the Inventory of a Christian , reckons this among them ; 1 Cor. 3.22 . Whether Life or Death , all is yours . And in another place he tells us , Phil. 1.21 . That to him to live was Christ , and to die was Gain . And well may a Christian account Death among his Gains ; for it is the Hand of Death that draws the Curtain , and lets him in to see God face to face in Heaven , that Palace of inestimable Pleasure and Delight , where the strongest Beams of Glory shall beat fully upon our Faces , and where we shall be made strong enough to bear them . Neither doth Death bring any detriment to our Bodies , since they shall be new moulded at the Resurrection ; 1 Cor. 15.53 , when this Mortal shall put on Immortality , and this Corruptible put on Incorruption ; when these dull Lumps shall become impassible as the Angels , subtle as a Ray of Light , bright as the Sun , nimble as Lightning . Who is there that hath hopes of Heaven , that would have this Law of Death reversed ? Who would be confined to live always a wretched Life here on Earth , that Sin and Sorrow share between them ? A holy Soul cannot but long and be impatient in breathing forth Desires after the kind Office of Death , to deliver it into so great and incomprehensible a Glory ; crying out earnestly with the Apostle , Phil. 1.21 . I desire to be dissolved , and to be with Christ , which is best of all .

Now of what great concernment this Subject of Man's Mortality , is , Of what concernment the thoughts of Death are . God by his Providence , since I last spake in this Place , hath sadly evinced ; and by a near Instance hath confirmed what I then Preached unto you , of the Frailty and Uncertainty of this present Life . Happy were it for us if either Sermons or Examples might awaken us to a serious Consideration that we our selves also must shortly die , and it may be , as suddenly . Are we not all subjected to the same Attack ? Hath not God's Hands kneaded our Bodies out of the same clay , and may not his Fingers crumble them again into the same dust ? Certainly the Cords of our Tabernacles may be as easily unloosed and cut asunder as theirs . I have read of a great Emperour , that to engrave upon himself the deeper Apprehensions of his own Frailty and Mortality , caused his own Funerals to be solemniz'd while he was yet living , laying himself down in his Tomb , weeping over himself , as his own Mourner : If there were any advantage in this to prepare him to die at last really , by dying thus first in an Emblem , we may almost daily have the same . There 's not a Funeral of any of our Relations or Acquaintance that we are called to give our Attendance upon , but by serious and solemn Reflections upon our selves , we may make it our own : and if by beholding others nailed up in their Coffins , laid down in their cold Graves , covered over with Earth , that they may become a Feast for Worms ; if now we reckon our selves among the number of them , we shall not be very much mistaken ; for this is only but a few days to anticipate what shall shortly be our state and condition . This Advantage we our selves may make of the Death of others , to look upon it as a resemblance at least of our own . What is the Language of every Grave we see open its mouth to receive into it the dead Body of some Neighbour or Acquaintance , but only this , That we also are mortal and perishing ? There 's not a broken Skull , or a rotten Bone that lies scattered about the Grave , but hath Death and Mortality written upon them , and call loudly upon us to prepare our selves to take up our Abode in the same darkness and corruption with them ; and if upon every such sad occasion we do not make a particular Application thereof unto our own selves , we not only lose our Friend's Lives , but their very Deaths also . And yet in this Affair , that might be of great advantage to us , we are exceeding faulty ; for the reflections we make on the death of others , are usually very impertinent , and make no lasting impressions upon us . When Death comes and mows down our Acquaintance and Relations round about us , the Reflection that we usually make , is more upon the Loss that we have sustained by their Death , than upon the Example they are thereby made to us of our own Frailty and Mortality ; and thereby , as God by his Providence hath deprived us of the Comfort we had in their Lives , so we deprive our selves of the Instruction and Benefit we might have by their Death . Or if some extraordinary Circumstance that appears in the Death of others , strikes us into serious Thoughts of our own ; yet usually they are but short-liv'd and fleeting ; for a while , it may be , we think of humane frailty , and the mutability of our present State ; but these Thoughts soon wear off , and we return to the same Vanity and wretched Security as before ; for such dying Meditations of Death , are usually very unprofitable . It is with most men as it is with a Flock of Sheep that graze fearlesly till the Shepherd rusheth in among them , and lays hold of one of them for the Slaughter , and this presently frights them , making them leave their Food , and run scattering about the Field ; but no sooner is the Tumult over , but they flock together again , and feed as securely , without Thoughts of death or danger as before . So truly is it with most men , when either the report is spread abroad that such or such a person is dead , and it may be suddenly , by some sudden and unexpected stroke , or when they are called to visit some dying Person , where they behold departing Pangs , distorted Eyes , quivering Limbs , wan and ghastly Corpse , the Image of Death in all its lively terrours ; if they have any Remainders of natural Tenderness , it must needs strike them into Pensiveness , to think that one day this must be their own Case , and that therefore it behoves them to be in continual preparation for this last and dreadful Change : But no sooner is the Dead interr'd , and the Grave fill'd up again , but all these sage and serious Thoughts vanish , and they return to the same excess of Sin and Pleasure as before : This is the brutish Folly and Sottishness of most men . But Oh , why should not men always keep alive vigorous thoughts and meditations of Death ! Are they not always alike mortal ? Are they not as much subject to the Arrest of Death at other times as when they see Examples of Mortality before their Eyes ? The Law stands still in force , unrepealed in Heaven , That it is appointed unto all Men once to die . Indeed it fares with such as these , as ordinarily it doth with Malefactors , that fear not the Penalty of the Law till they see it executed upon others . Let us therefore act rationally as Men , and as long as we are in danger , be kept by that danger prepared to entertain that which we know is irreversibly appointed unto us .

But now , besides this general Appointment of God , That all shall die , there is a particular Appointment , that reacheth to every particular Circumstance of Man's Death ; the time when , the manner how we shall die : These are unalterably determined in God's secret Counsel . To speak a little briefly to this .

God appoints the time of Man's life . Dan. 5.23 . First , God hath punctually and exactly determined the time of our Death to a very moment . The great God , in whose hands our Lives , our Breath , and all our Ways are , he turns up our Glass , and puts such a measure of Sand into it , and no more ; it is he that prefixes it to run to such a length of Time , and then determines it shall run no longer : It is he who is Lord of all Time , that writes our Names upon so many Days and Hours as we shall live , as upon so many Leaves of his Book ; and it is impossible for us to live one Day or Hour that hath not our Name written upon it by him from all Eternity . It is God that sets every one the Bounds of their living , as well as the Bounds of their habitations ; Acts 17.26 . beyond which they shall not be able to pass . The Embryo that dies before ever it sees the Light , fills up its appointed time by God , as well as he that lives to decrepit old Age. And therefore , though the Scripture and we use to say , Such or such an one is taken away in the midst of his days ; yet simply in it self considered , that is impossible ; the whole Tale of days that God hath appointed to every one , must be fulfilled , and that to a very moment , according as the number of them is set down by God from all eternity . Such Expressions as these denote no more , than either that God cuts them off in the full strength and vigour of their years , when yet they might , according to the course of Nature , and humane probability , have lived longer ; or else comparing the shortness of their Lives with the length of others , God seems to break it off in the very midst , before he had finished his Work . I shall not enter into a Dispute whether the Term of Life be fixed or moveable . Methinks Job hath fully stated and determined the Question . Job 7.1 . Is there not , says he , an appointed time to Man upon Earth ? Are not his days also like the days of an Hireling ? Now an Hireling hath a time of Service prefixed , which when it is expired , he is discharged from his Labour . God hath sent all Men into the World as so many Hirelings , and as soon as these days are expired , he takes them from their labour to their reward . Are not my days as the days of an Hireling ? So Job speaks also in another Chapter , concerning Man ; His days are determined , Job 14.5 . the number of his Months are with thee ; thou hast appointed his bounds that he cannot pass . What can be more punctual and particular ? It is true however , that though God hath thus numbred out our days , and set us our bounds , yet we may well say , That whoever dies , might have lived longer , had they made use of the right Means : As Martha said unto our Saviour , Luke 11.21 . Lord , if thou hadst been here my Brother had not died . So may we say , If such and such Means had been used , and such Remedies applied , this or that Person had not died ; but withal we must observe also , that , that God who hath prefixed to every one his Term of Life , hath also ordained in his own Counsel and Purpose , that those Means that are proper to prolong Life beyond that Term , should through some unavoidable mistake or mishap , either not be known , or not used . This therefore may be of great support unto us , as against all inordinate Fears of our own Death ; so against all inordinate grief and sorrow for the Death of others ; to consider that all our Times are in God's hands ; he measures out every day to us ; and as he hath appointed bounds to us , beyond which we shall not pass , so also hath he appointed that we shall certainly reach unto those bounds . His all wise Providence disposeth of the meanest and smallest Concernments of our Lives , and therefore much more of our Lives themselves ; and if a Hair of our Heads cannot , much less shall not we our selves fall to the ground without our Heavenly Father .

Secondly , As God hath appointed the exact critical Hour , so also the particular Manner of our Death . It is he that appoints whether it shall be sudden or foreseen ; by Diseases , or by Casualty ; whether the Thred of our Life shall be snapt in pieces by some unexpected Accident , or worn and fretted away by some tedious and lingring Consumption , or burnt asunder by some fiery Fever . In whatever manner or shape Death may appear to us , is a Secret known only unto God ; but this we know that it is always his Serjeant , and wears his Livery ; and all the Circumstances of our Death are of God's appointment , as well as our Death it self . And in whatever shape it shall appear to us , if we diligently endeavour by a holy Life to prepare our selves for it , it shall not be frightful or terrible to us .

Now to make some Practical Improvement of this . And ,

First , If God thus unalterably appoints to us our last period , if he hath thus appointed us to Die , if all men are concluded under that irrevocable Law ; let this then serve to convince us of the gross and notorious folly of setting our Affections eagerly upon this present World , a World that we must shortly leave behind us . Death within a very little while will most certainly pluck us from it , and it will prove a violent rending to us if our Affections are inordinately set upon any thing here below . It was a strange and perverse use also that the Ancient Heathens made of the necessity of dying , when in their Feasts their custom was to bring in the resemblance of an Anatomy to their Guests , thereby to excite them to Mirth and Voluptuousness , whilst they should relish such delights as were then before them , because shortly they must be as much dust and bones as what they saw . 1 Cor. 15.32 . Like those the Apostle makes mention of , who said , let us eat and drink , for to morrow we shall die . But how much better use doth the same Apostle teach us to make of this , when in the same Epistle , he tells us , but this I say Brethren the time is short . Why , what then ? why , says he , it remains therefore that they that have Wives be as though they had none , and they that weep as though they wept not , and they that rejoyce as though they rejoyced not ; and they that buy as though they possessed not , and they that use this World as not abusing it , for the fashion of this World passeth away . Death one would think should beat down the price of the World in every wise man's esteem . Why should we lay out our affections upon those things from which we may be ravisht in a moment ? Both they and we perish in the using of them ; they are dying comforts , and we must die also that enjoy them . Oh! what Folly then is it to toil and wear away our Lives in pursuing such vain things , from which we may be snatcht before we can cast another look at them ! Sowre Death will soon convince us that all is but vanity and vexation of spirit that we here set our eyes and hearts upon . And therefore ,

Secondly , Seeing by the appointment of God we must all shortly die , let us be perswaded to be always in a readiness and preparation for it . Our Souls are Immortal and must live for ever , and when our Bodies die and fall into the Dust , they immediately enter into an Estate that is for ever unalterable . Directions to prepare for Death . Now here I shall only lay down a few directions and so conclude .

First , Wean your Hearts from an inordinate love of the World . Get hearts weaned from the World . Death must and will pluck you from it ; and , oh ! it will be a violent rending if your affections be glewed to it . Consider that all things in this present World are fading and perishing , but your precious Souls are ever living and Immortal ; be not therefore unequally yoaked , joyn not your ever-living Souls to dying comforts . This is a tyranny worse than that which was Exercised by those of old , who tied living Bodies to dead Carkasses . Oh! what a sad parting hour will it be to thee , when thou shalt go into another World , and leave behind thee all that thou countest good in this , how wilt thou protract and linger , and wishly look back again , upon all those precious vanities , and dear nothings and follies that here thou placedst thy happiness and contentment in : But now when the heart sets loose from all these things , with what satisfaction shall we be able to Die , accounting what we lose by Death to be no great matter , because what we gain thereby will be infinitely more to our advantage .

Secondly , Repentance must not be deferred upon hopes of long Life . Would you be prepared for Death ; beware then that you do not defer your Repentance one day or hour longer upon any presumption of the continuance of your Life . Death depends not upon the warning of a sickness ; God doth not always afford it , but sometimes he doth execution before he Shoots off his warning Piece , & why may it not be so with you ; however it is possible your sickness may be such as may render you uncapable of doing your last good Office for your Soul : But if it should be otherwise , yet this I am sure of , it is the unfittest time in all your Life ; to be then casting up your Accounts when you should be giving of them up , to have your Evidences for Heaven then to clear up to your Souls when you should produce and shew them for your support and comfort .

Live every day as if it were your last . Thirdly , Live every day so as if every day were your last and dying day , and the very next day allotted to you unto Eternity ; if it be not so it is more than any of us know , and since we have no assurance of one day or hour longer ; it is but Reason and Wisdom to look upon every day as that which may prove our very last .

Be constant in the exercise of a holy life . Fourthly , Be constant in the Exercise of a Holy Life , and always doing of that , that you would be content Christ should find you doing when he comes to Summon you before his Bar. Think with thy self if thou wer 't now upon thy sick Bed , and hadst received the Sentence of Death , and sawest thy Friends stand mourning round about thee , but cannot help thee ; what would be thy thoughts and thy discourse then : Why , let the same thoughts and the same discourse , fill up every day and hour of thy Life ; for thou knowest not , whether now this moment thou art not as near Death ; as if thy Friends and Relations , yea and thy Physicians also dispaired of thy Life , and had given thee over for Dead .

Fifthly and Lastly , Get an assurance of a better Life . Labour to get an assurance of a better Life , and this will prepare you for a temporal Death . When you and all things in the World must take leave of one another and part forever , than to have the sense of the Love of God , of an interest in Jesus Christ , and the sight and view of your own Graces ; these will bear up your Heart in a dying hour , these things are Immortal , as your Souls are , and will enter into Heaven with you , and abide there with you to Eternity . O whom will it not comfort to think that Death will change his Bottle into a Spring ; though here our Water sometimes fails us , yet in Heaven whither we are going we shall bath our selves in an infinite Ocean of Delights , lying at the breasts of an infinite Fountain of Life and Sweetness . Whoever hath such an assurance as this is , cannot but welcome Death embracing it not only with contentment but with Delight : And while the Soul is strugling and striving to unclasp it self , and to get loose from the Body , it cannot but say with Holy Longings and Pantings , Come , Lord Jesus , come quickly .

THE GREAT EVIL and DANGER OF Little Sins , IN FOUR SERMONS ON St. MATTH. V. 19.

Whosoever therefore shall break any one of these least Cammandments , and shall teach Men so , he shall be called the least in the Kingdom of Heaven .

By EZEKIEL HOPKINS , late Lord Bishop of London-Derry .

LONDON , Printed by E. H. for NATHANAEL RANEW , at the King's Arms in St. Paul's Church-Yard , 1693.

THE GREAT EVIL and DANGER OF LITTLE SINS , FROM St. MATTH. V. 19.

Whosoever therefore shall break any one of these least Commandments , and shall teach Men so , he shall be called the least in the Kingdom of Heaven .

AMongst those many Points that our Saviour handles in this his Sermon on the Mount , An Introduction . one is the Stability and Permanency of the Moral Law ; the Obligation of which , he affirms to be as perpetual as Heaven and Earth , Verse 18. Verily , verily , I say unto you , till Heaven and Earth pass , one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the Law , till all be fulfilled . This Assertion Christ lays down in opposition to the common and corrupt Doctrine of the Scribes and Pharisees , the Jewish Teachers ; who , by their Traditions sought to make void the Law of God Now , says Christ , unless they can remove the Earth , and rowl up the Heavens , and carry the World without the World , it is but a vain Attempt ; for it is decreed in Heaven , That till Heaven and Earth pass , not a tittle of the Law shall fail ; but all shall be fulfilled .

As it is in this lower World , notwithstanding it is maintained by a continual flux and vicissitude by the perpetual change of one being into another ; one corrupting , and another rising up in a new form and shape out of its Ruines ; and yet not the least dust of Matter is , or can be consumed ; but the same Matter , and the same Quantity still continues which were at first created . So is it with the Law of God ; let Scribes and Pharisees corrupt it by their erroneous Glosses and false Interpretations , ●utting what Forms and Shapes they ●ease upon it ; yet as it is in the cor●ption of earthly Bodies , not the least ●iece of Matter can perish , or be annihi●ted ; so neither in their corrupting of ●he Law shall one jot or tittle of it fail . ●ot but that the Law did fail of its ob●ervation ; never yet was it exactly and ●unctually fulfilled by any , except by ●ur Lord Jesus Christ ; but yet the Ob●gation and binding Power of it is ever●sting , and shall continue while there ● an Earth , and Men upon it ; yea , while there is a Heaven & glorified Saints ●● it ; for the Moral Law is of an eternal ●alidity ; on Earth it is a perfect Rule ●et down in the Word ; in Heaven it is ● perfect Nature implanted in the Bles●ed , from which all their Actions shall low , and by which they shall all be guided to eternity .

This Assertion being laid down , our Saviour proceeds to draw an Inference ●rom it , and that he doth in the Words ●f the Text : If every jot and tittle of ●he Law be of such a permanent and everlasting Obligation ; then , whosoever shall break one of these least Commandments , and teach Men so , he shall be called that is , he shall be , or , he deserves to b● the least in the Kingdom of Heaven .

Opening of the Words . And here , before we can arrive at th● full and practical Sense of the Words we must enquire into Two Things .

First , What is here meant by the least Commandment .

Secondly , What is meant by being least in the Kingdom of Heaven .

What is meant by the least Commandment . For the First of these : When Christ speaks here of the least Commandment , it must not be so understood , as if one Commandment were less necessary to be observed than another : God's Commands are all alike necessary , and that with a twofold Necessity ; Necessitate Praecepti , & Necessitate Medii . The one ariseth from the Authority of the Law-giver ; the other from the Requisiteness of Obedience to eternal Life ; One Command therefore is not less than another .

First , No Command little in respect of God's Authority . In respect of the Authority en●yning them . The same holy and just ●od who hath commanded us to love ●nd fear him with all our Souls and with ●l our Might , hath also commanded us ● abstain from every vain Thought , ●nd from every idle and superfluous ●ord . The least Command hath power ● bind the Conscience to Obedience , as ●ell as the greatest ; because the least ● enacted by that Sovereign God to ●hom all Souls and Consciences are sub●ct , as well as the greatest . It is not ●he greatness or smallness of the Coin , ●ut the Image of the King stamp'd upon ● that authorizeth it , and makes it ●arrant : So truly the Holiness and Pu●ty of God's Nature once imprinted up●n the least Command , makes it fully as ●uthoritative and Obligatory , as if it ●ere the highest and the chiefest .

Nor , Secondly , No Command less necessary to be obeyed . is one Command less ●han another , as if it were less necessary ●o be performed in order to Eternal Life . The Breach of the least Commandment ●oth as certainly shut the Soul out of Heaven , and shut it up under Wrath and Condemnation , as the breach of the greatest . In neither of these sences therefore , must the Words be understood , a● if our Obedience were required more r●missly , or left more arbitrary to the one than to the other ; or as if the observation of them all were not equally conducible unto Happiness , or the transgression of them equally liable unto punishment . When therefore Christ speaks o● the least Commandment , the expression may admit of a twofold signification .

First , That herein he alludes to th● common and corrupt Doctrine of the Scribes and Pharisees distinguishing God's Commands into great and small . The great Commandments they held to be those only which concerned the external Acts of Religious Worship ; such as Fastings and Washings , and Sacrifices , and scrupulous Tithings , with various Gifts and Offerings ; these were their great Commandments ; but for inward Concupiscence , for unmortified Lusts ; for vain Thoughts and sinful Desires , these , they , as a Generation , corrupt in themselves , and Corrupters of others , taught as the Papists now do , either to be no Sins at all , or at most , but venial , so long as they did not break forth into Act ; and truly the greater part of this Chapter is spent in setting forth the evil of ●hose Sins that the Jews accounted to be ●●ght and small ; Matth. 5.22 , 28 , 29. as to be angry with our ●rother , to call him Racha , or thou Fool , ●erse 22. To harbour inward Motions ●f Concupiscence , ver. 28. To use Di●orce , ver. 29. Common Swearing , ver. 34. Private Revenge , ver. 39. Now says our ●aviour , I am so far from destroying the Law and the Prophets , either by my Doctrine , or by my Practice , as these Men falsly accuse and calumniate me ; ●hat contrariwise I teach that the violati●n of those Commands which your Do●tors , the Scribes and Pharisees account ●mall and little , will bring with them ●n heavy guilt , and sore condemnation ; or whosoever breaks those Commandments that are commonly vilify'd and called least , shall be the least in the Kingdom of Heaven .

Secondly , Those Commandments which ●re great in respect of the Lawgiver , may yet be the least in comparison with other Commands of the same Law , which ●re indeed thought greatest . Now this comparative inequality in the Commandments , is taken from the inequality of the Objects about which they are conversant ; some of them concern our Duty to God , others concern our Duty to Man : Now because Man is infinitely less than God , therefore those Commands that relate to our Duty towards Man , may be called less than those Commands that relate to our Duty towards God . Hence , when the Lawyer put a Case to our Saviour , Matth. 22.36 . Mat. 22.36 . Master , which is the great Commandment in the Law ? Our Lord answers him , Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy Heart , and with all thy Soul , and with all thy Mind ; This , says he , is the first and great Commandment . Sometimes this inequality riseth from the Latitude that every Command hath in it : Now this Latitude relateth to our Thoughts , to our Words , and to our Actions . Now because a Thought may be said to be less than a Word , and a Word may be said to be less than an Action , therefore that part of the Commandment that requires Holiness in our Thoughts , may be said to be less than that which requires Holiness in our Speech ; and that part of the Commandment which requires Holiness in our Speech , than that which requires Holiness in our Lives and Actions . Now , says our Saviour , he that sins against Man , as well as he that sins against G●d ; he that sins in a Thought , in a Word , as well as he that sins in his Actions and Conversation : He that breaks these least Commandments shall be least in the Kingdom of Heaven . And in this Sence I take the Words . And thus you see what is meant by the least Commandment .

The Second thing we are to enquire into , What is meant by being least in the Kingdom of Heaven . is what we are to understand by being least in the Kingdom of Heaven . By the Kingdom of Heaven may be meant , either the Kingdom of Grace set up in the Church on Earth ; and thus the Word is so frequently made use of in Scripture , I need not turn you to any Places . Or else by the Kingdom of Heaven may be meant the Kingdom of Glory , established in the highest Heavens . If we take the Kingdom of Heaven here in the Text for the Kingdom of Grace , that is , for the Church and People of God here on Earth , then the Sence runs thus ; He that breaketh the least Commandment , and teacheth Men so , shall be no true Member of the Church of Christ . But if we take the Kingdom of Heaven here spoken of , to be the Kingdom of Glory ; then the meaning is , He that breaks the least Commandment shall be least in the Kingdom of Heaven ; that is , he shall not enter into Heaven at all . Minimus vocabitur in Regno Coelorum , & fortasse ideo non erit in Regno Coelorum , ubi nisi magni esse non possunt , as St. Augustine speaks . He shall be the least in Heaven ; that is , he shall not be there at all , because in Heaven there are none but great and glorious ones .

You see then what a heavy and most dreadful Doom Christ hath pass'd upon those things that the World call little and trivial Sins ; they exclude out of Heaven , and will , without Repentance and a Pardon interpose , sink the Soul down to the lowest Hell irrecoverably .

Now because the generality of the World ; yea , and of Professors also , do too commonly allow and indulge themselves in little Sins , I have therefore made choice of this Subject , on purpose , to convince you if it may be of the great evil that lurks under them , and that great wrath that will follow upon them : That as you would out of your great care for your precious and immortal Soul 's eternal Welfare , abstain from the Commission of notorious and self-condemning Sins ; so you would labour to keep your selves free from these little Sins , which though less scandalous , yet are they not less pernicious and destructive : And this I shall endeavour to do in the Prosecution of this one Proposition .

That little Sins carry in them great guilt , and will bring after them a sore and heavy Condemnation .

He that breaketh the least Commandment shall in no wise enter into the Kingdom of Heaven . Now in treating upon this Subject , because I intend not to insist long upon it , I shall only lay down some Demonstrations of the Truth of the Doctrine , and then make some Use and Application of it .

The least Sin a great Affront of the great God . First , Therefore the great evil and danger that there is in little Sins appears in this , that the least Sin is a most high Affront and Provocation of the Great God . An Infinite Holiness is opposed , and an Infinite Justice is incensed by them . Though I am not of the Opinion of the Stoick Philosophers , that all Vices are equally hainous ; yet this I account certain , that there is in the least Sin as flat a repugnancy and contradiction to the Holy Will of God as in the greatest . Hath not God forbidden vain Thoughts and idle Words , as strictly as he hath forbidden Murder , Adultery , Blasphemy , and Hatred of himself , with all those abominable Sins that defile the mouths of those that name them ? And is it not as much his Will that he should be obey'd in those Commands , as in these ? Have you any more Dispensation in the Scripture to speak an idle Word , than you have to blaspheme the Name of God ? Have you any more liberty allow'd you to swear little Oaths , than you have to swear and ban by whatsoever is sacred and holy in Heaven , or dreadful in Hell ? Or to take the reverend Name of God in vain , more than to curse him to his very Face ? Are you more permitted to think evil against your Neighbour , than you are to murther him ? No certainly ; there are no such Dispensations can ever be found in the Word of God ; and I assure you , God will never dispense with any Sin farther than he hath revealed ; and why then will you dare to dispense with your selves more in little Sins than in great Sins ? Oh , our Consciences will never bear with any patience those great and crying Sins : Will they not ? and do you think that God's Holiness will bear with your little Sins ? Believe it , these little Sins do arm God's terrible Power and Vengeance against you And as a Page may carry the Sword of a great Warriour after him , so your little Sins do , as it were , bear the Sword of God's Justice , and put it into his hands against you . And wo unto us if the holy and jealous God deal in fury with us for our small Provocations .

Secondly , Little sins a violation of the Law of God . Every little Sin is a heinous violation of a holy and strict Law that God hath given us to be the Rule of our Lives . The least Sin takes the two Tables , and in a worse sence than Moses did , dashes and breaks them in pieces . Nay ,

Committing little sins , makes men guilty of the greatest . Thirdly , That you may see what a complicate Evil every Sin is , take this too , which , though it be a Paradox , yet is it a most sad Truth , That the commission of the least Sin makes you guilty of the greatest Sin ; yea , guilty of all Sin imaginable . Hear this therefore , and tremble all you that allow your selves in vain Thoughts or idle Words , and think with your selves , Pish , this is but a Thought ; this is but a Word ; no , it is not only a vain Thought , or an idle Word ; it is Blasphemy , it is Hatred of God , it is Murther , it is Adultery , it is Idolatry ; you will say , this is strange Doctrine ; if it be , it is the Apostle's Doctrine , Jam. 2.10 . Jam. 2.10 . Whosoever shall keep the whole Law , and yet offend in one point , he is guilty of all . As therefore thou wouldst not be found guilty in the great Day of the Lord of all that ever Hell it self was ever impeached for , see that you abhor the commission of the least Sin ; for the least Sin will involve thy Soul in the greatest guilt . And the Apostle gives an evident Reason of this , ver. 11. For he that said , Do not commit Adultery , said also , Do not kill ; now if thou do not commit Adultery , yet if thou kill , thou art become a transgressor of the Law . The worst thing that can be found in all the Sins that ever were committed , is the contempt of God's Authority . Now there is as much wretched contempt of the Authority of the great God , in the commission of little Sins , as there is in the commission of great Sins . It is the same God that saith , Do not take my Name in vain , who saith , Do not blaspheme me ; the same God that saith , Do not murther , hath said also , Be not angry with thy Brother causlesly . Now what is it that makes Blasphemy and Murther such heinous Sins ? Truly the Venom and Rancour of them lies in this , That the Authority of that great God who hath forbidden them , is slighted and trampled under foot ; and is it not so by small Sins ? Nay , let me add , God's Authority more slighted by little than by great Sins .

Fourthly , The Authority of the great God seems to be more despised by the commission of small Sins , than by the commission of great Sins . Doth it not argue great contempt of God , when you will not obey him in a matter that you your selves count small and inconsiderable ? You think , it may be , it is not of much moment or concernment what your Thoughts be , nor what your Words are ; but when you hear and are convinced , that all your Thoughts should be holy , and that all your Discourse should be savoury , and such as should minister profit and edification unto others ; if after this , you still think it of no great moment , whether they be vain and frothy , or whether they be holy and spiritual ; believe it , this shews you to be despisers of God's dominion and authority over you , when his Commands cannot prevail against the least Sin . What a small Matter was it , may some say , for Adam to eat of an Apple in Paradise ? But was it not as small a Matter for him to forbear and let it alone ? And therefore this small Sin shewed no small contempt of God's Authority , who had strictly forbidden it . When we sin , we flatter our selves straight with this ; Is it not a little one ? Truly if it be but a little one to commit , it is but a little ●ne to refrain from . It is an Aggravati●n of Sin , rather than an Excuse , to ●y , our Sins are but little ones . It ●ews a Heart hardened against God , and ●ewrays a desperate contempt of all that ●e can say to us , or do against us , when ●e shall chuse rather to thwart and break ●is Commands , to venture , or rather ●o despise his Power , Wrath and Justice , ●an to forgo our little Sins .

Fifthly , Little Sins greatly deface the Image of God . Little Sins do greatly de●ace the Image of God in the Soul . A●am was at first created according to the ●imilitude and Likeness of God : He ●ad the Divine Pourtraicture drawn upon ●is Soul by the creating Finger of the Almighty ; and yet we see how little a Sin defaced it , and spoiled him of all his Glory . In curious Pictures a small Scratch ●s a great Deformity : Certainly the Image of God is such a curious Piece of Workmanship , that the least Scratch or ●law in it by the least Sin , deforms and ●urns that which before was the Image of God , into the Image of the Devil .

Little Sins have but little temptation in them . Sixthly , Little Sins have in them ordinarily less of Temptation than othe● Sins have , and therefore they have mo● of wilfulness in them . If it be no excu● of Sin , yet certainly it is a ground o● pity and commiseration , when thos● fall into the Commission of Sin , who a● assaulted and haunted with most violen● and eager Temptations ; when the Devi● will not let them alone for a moment time , but pursues them from place to place , and though they once and again eject and resist him , yet still he forceth his Temptations upon them : If such a● these are at length overcome by those impudent importunities of that Evil One this their yeilding requires our pity , and i● may be shall more easily obtain God● pardoning Grace and Mercy . But thou that ordinarily committest those tha● thou callest Little Sins , hast no such alleviation for them . What Temptation canst thou plead ? Doth the Devil continually dogg thee with such sollicitations and perswasions , that though thou wouldst yet thou canst not resist ; no● certainly , when the Powers of Hell ar● themselves against a Soul , it is to more advantage , than the Commission of a ●ittle Sin , Little Sins have scarce any ●ny other Temptation to inforce them ●esides the commonness and customari●ess of committing them .

The two great Arguments by which ●e Devil prevails in all his Temptations , ●he Pleasure and Profit ; now both of ●hese do ususally attend the big and more ●ulky Sins ; but Little Sins have usually ●is aggravation left upon them , that if Men will commit them , they shall be●ome Sinners for nothing . Tell me what ●rofit hath the Profane Spirit to be con●●nually stewing and soaking a lust in his ●wn thoughts . What profit or pleasure ●ath the Common Swearer for to think ●imself to be but a Little Sinner in ●apping out his Oaths against God and Heaven . ( Were I an Epicure says one ●oth piously and ingeniously ) I would ●ate Swearing : Were Men such as sold ●hemselves unto all manner of sensual Delights , yet is there so little can be ●trained from this common Sin that it can ●ardly bear the countenance or presence of a Temptation . Now if it be not the ●iolence of Temptation that makes you ●o Sin , it can be nothing else but your own wilfulness that makes you thus to Sin . Now wilfulness is the measure o● all guilt , according as your Sins are more or less willfull , so are you the more or le● sinfull . Now it is not the Devil's Temptations , but your own wilfulness that run● you upon the Commission of Little Sins ; and this is it that aggravates and heightens them ; you Sin voluntarily without compulsion , and so by Mystery of Iniquity you make your selves Grea● Sinners by committing Little Sins .

Little Sins maintain a trade of Sin . Seventhly , Little Sins do maintain the trade and course of sinning . The Devil cannot expect always to receive such returns of great and crying Impieties , but yet when he keeps the stock of Corruption going , and drives on the trade of sinning by Lesser Sins , believe it Corruption will be on the thriving hand , and you may grow rich in guilt , and treasure up to your selves Wrath against the Day of Wrath , by adding those that you call Little Sins unto the heap . It is not possible that any sinner in the World should be always raging against God by daring and staring Sins ; for though the principle of Corruption ●ms still to exert its utmost strength , ●et the Faculties in which it dwells , and ●y which it acts , cannot bear so con●tant an intentness ; there must be there●ore in the vilest sinners some Intermissi●n , but yet in this Intermission there is ●he continued practice and course of ●mall Sins , that tack and unite them to●ether ; betwixt the Commission of one ●ross Sin and another , intervenes a con●tant neglect and forgetfulness of God , ● constant hardness of Heart , a constant ●anity and unfruitfulness of Life ; and ●y these though sinners look upon them ●s small Sins , yet they still plod on in ●he way to Hell and Destruction without any stop or interruption . In sharp Diseases the violence of the Fit doth not ●ast so long as the Disease lasts , at times ●here is an Intermission , but still there is ● constant Distemper in the Body : So when the pang of a violent Sin is well over , yet still there remains a constant Distemper in the Soul , which though it be not outragious , yet still continues the Souls Disease , and will bring it to its Death at last . In the Fortification of a City or Town , all the Ramparts are not Castles and Strong holds , but between Fort and Fort there is a Line drawn tha● doth as it were joyn all together an● makes the place Impregnable . So is ● in the Fortification of the Soul by Sin all Sins are not Strong holds of Sathan they are greater and grosser Sins , but between these is drawn a line of smalle● Sins so close that you cannot find ● Breach in it , and by these the Heart i● fenced against God . Now is it nothing that your Little Sins fill up all the voi● spaces of your Lives ? Is it nothing tha● you no where lie open to the force and impression of the Holy Spirit ? He by his Convictions batters the greater and more hainous Sins of your Lives , bu● these Strong holds of Sathan are Impregnable , and give him the repulse ; he seeks to enter in by the Thoughts , but these are so fortified by Vanity and Earthly mindedness , and a thousand other Follies , that though they are but Little Sins , yet swarms of them stop up the passage , and the Soul is so full already that there is no room for the Holy Spirit to enter . There 's not a sinner here that if he will make an Impartial search within him , but will find the experience of this in his own breast : When at any ●me you have flown out into the Commission of any boisterous and notorious Wickedness , have you not afterwards ●und that you live in a more constant ●king and allowance of little Sins . When ●nce a Man is stunn'd by some heavy ●ow , a small nip or pinch is not then felt ●y him : And when once Conscience is ●eadned by the stroak of some great and ●andalous Sin , afterwards it grows less ●ensible of the guilt and evil that there ● in smaller Sins ; and thus you live in ●hem without pain and regret , till you ●ll into some notorious Wickedness that ●ore hardens the Heart and more fears ●he Conscience ; and what is this but to ●n round from Sin to Sin , from a small ●in to a great Sin , and from a great Sin ●o a small Sin again , till Hell put a pe●iod to this Circle ; what is this now , ●ut for the Devil to get ground upon ●ou by great Sins , and to keep it by little Sins , whereby he drives on and keeps up ●he trade of Sin , and when God shall ●ast up your Accounts for you at the last Day , you will find that the Trade hath ●gain'd you no small loss , even the loss of ●our Immortal Souls . Now although ●he evil and danger of committing little Sins hath been made very apparent in the forementioned particulars , yet because Men are very prone to indulge and excuse themselves herein , I shall add some farther Demonstrations of their aggravated Guilt in these following particulars : Which will serve greatly for the confirmation of the truth of the Doctrine .

Little Sins usually are the damning Sins . First , Consider little Sins usually are the damning and destroying Sins . There are more beyond comparison that perish and go down to Hell by the Commission of little Sins , than by those that are more Notorious and Infamous ; here perisheth the Hypocrite , and here the formal Professor ; here perisheth your honest civil neighbourly Man , that is so fair and upright in his dealing that you can see nothing that is gross and scandalous by him : Oh! but yet the blood of their precious and Immortal Souls runs out and is spilt for ever thorough those insensible wounds that little Sins do make : Yea hereby commonly perisheth the Prophane Sinner also , for it is usually but the Commission of one small Sin more that fills up the measure of their ●niquities , and makes them fully ripe ●or Damnation ; sometimes indeed God ●oth by some signal Stroke of his Vengeance strike the sinner through and ●hrough in the Commission of some bold ●nd daring Sin ; but usually the last Sin ●f the worst of Men is but of the lesser ●ze , and though God hath formerly ●orn many great impieties from such ●ersons , yet is he at last so provoked by ●ome little Sin that he will wait no lon●er , but snatcheth the sinner away in his ●rath and throws him down into Hell . This is an Argument how dreadfully ●rovoking small Sins are , that usually ●pon the Commission of one of them God puts an end to his patience and for●earance : It is not all the great and crying ●ins of a Mans Life that brings so much misery upon him , as a little Sin that ●nks him down into Eternal Torments ●oth . Usually the last Sin that a sinner ●nters into Hell by is but a little Sin : Take it therefore as a warning from God , ●enceforth never more despise any Sin ●s slight because it is small . We have a ●nown Proverb among us , that when a ●east hath his full load , one straw more will break his Back . Believe it , sirs , it is most certainly true in the present Case many Christians have been a long time sinners against God and their own Souls adding iniquity to iniquity , and some o● you may already have your full load , ● beware how you ever venture upon th● Commission of another Sin , though it b● but a little and a slight Sin , yet this sligh● and small Sin added to the rest may brea● and sink you for ever into Hell ; thi● little Sin may fill up the Ephah of you● iniquities , and after this small Sin yo● may neither have time to Sin again , no● to Repent of your Sin .

Little Sins what they want in weight they do more than make up innumber . Secondly , Consider this : Small Sin what they want in weight usually they do more than make up in number , and therefore are as pernicious to the Sou● as the greatest Sins can be . Hence David prays , Psal. 19.12 . Who can understand his errours , cleanse thou me from secret Sins . Psal. 19.12 . Secret Sins must needs b● the least and smallest Sins , seeing they are so small that he that commits then cannot discern them ; but yet as they are small , so are they numerous , wh● knows how often he thus transgresseth , wh● can understand his errours ? Therefore cleanse thou me , O Lord , from these secret ●ins . A Ship may have a heavy bur●en of Sands as well as of Milstones , and ●ay be as soon sunk with them . And ●uly small Sins though they should be ● small as Sands , yet commonly they ●e as numerous as the Sands too ; and ●hat odds then is there between them ●d the greatest Sins ? Every thought ●ou thinkest , and every word thou ●eakest in an unregenerate State and con●tion there is Sin in it , and though most ● them possibly are but little Sins , yet ● multitude of them alone are able to ●nk you down into the lowest Hell . ●our Consciences start back and are ●frighted , as indeed they ought , at a ●emptation to Murder , Incest , Blas●emy , or any of those more horrid Sins , ●at are the prodigies of corrupt Nature , ●ese Sins you dare not so much as com●it once : And yet thousands of thou●nds of lesser Sins , such as sinful Thoughts , ●le Words , petty Oaths , commodious Lyes ; ●ese proceed from you without either ●riving against them , or mourning for ●em . Why now , Sirs , do you more fear ●tolerable and everlasting Wrath , for ●e single Commission of a great Sin , than you do for the frequent and repeated Commission of less Sins ? Truly ● cannot precisely tell you , whether you had not as good Blaspheme God once , a● take his Name in vain often ; whethe● it be not as good to Murder once , as to hate always : The frequency of little Sins makes their guilt so great and thei● punishment so intolerable , that the vilest Sins you can imagine shall have nothing to exceed them in , unless it be the horror of the Name of that Sin . An● yet it fares with us as it did with th● Israelites , we tremble more at one Goliah than we do at the whole Army of th● Philistines . One gross scandalous Si● makes Conscience recoil and go back when yet we venture upon the number less guilt of smaller Sins , that have le● terror in their Name , though united i● their guilt they bring far sorer Condemnation on the Soul , than the single Commission of a great Sin ? What great di●ference is there whether your Eterna● burning be kindled by many sparks , o● by one fire brand ? Whether you Die b● many smaller Wounds , or by one grea● one ? Many little Items may make Debt desperate , and the payment impossible . And truly when God shall ●eckon up against us at the great Day , many thousand vain Thoughts , and as many superfluous idle Words , with as many petty Oaths and Lyes that we ●ave been guilty of , the account will be ●s dreadful , and the Wrath that will ●ollow as insupportable as if Murder , Blasphemy , or the greatest outrage that ●ver was committed in the World , were ●ingly charged upon us .

Thirdly , It 's difficult to convince men of the evil of little Sins . Consider it is very difficult ●o convince Men of the great Evil and Danger that there is in little Sins , and ●herefore it is very difficult to bring them ●o Repentance for them . Indeed this is ●he great and desperate Evil that there ●s in small Sins , that Men will not be perswaded that they are Evil. Flagitious wickednesses are usually self condemning ; they carry that brand upon them that makes them evident to every Mans Conscience that they come from Hell , and will certainly lead to Hell ; Rom. 1.33 . and therefore the Apostle , Rom. 1.33 . after he had reckoned up a black Catalogue of Sins , tells them in the last verse , that though they were Heathens , yet they knew the Judgments of God , that they that committed such things were worthy of Death . But now the guilt of little Sins is not so apparent , the eye of a meer natural Conscience looks usually outward to the Life and Conversation , and if that be plain and smooth , it sees not or dispenseth with the lesser Sins of the Heart : Hence is it that we so seldom confess or mourn for those that we call lesser Sins ? When is it that we are deeply humbled for the Omission of duties , or for the slight and perfunctory performance of them ? these we look not upon as deserving Damnation , and therefore we think they need no Repentance . Nay , are we not so far from judging and condemning our selves for them , that we seek out pretences to excuse and lessen them , calling them Slips , Failings , and vnavoidable Infirmities : Gen. 19.20 . And as Lot said of Zoar , is it not a little one , and our Souls shall live . What , can I think there is so much danger in a foolish Thought , in a vain and inconsiderate Word ? Can I think that the great God will torment his poor creatures for ever , for a Thought , for a Word , for a Glance ? yes believe it unless these Sins be done away in the Blood of Christ , there is not the least of them but hath an infinite Evil in it , and an infinite Wrath following of it : If you will not now be convinced of it , you shall be then when with dread and astonishment you shall hear God calling your little Sins by other Names than you now do ; you call them Failings and Infirmities , but God will call them Presumptions and Rebellions ? What you say is but a vain Thought , shall be arraign'd as Treason against God , as Atheism and Soul Murder : Then every formal heartless Duty that here you performed , shall be accused of mocking and scoffing of God ; they are so interpretatively and in God's esteem , and unless the guilt of them be done away by the Blood of sprinkling , you will find them no less at the great and terrible Day of the Lord . Indeed the generality of Men have gotten a dangerous Method of doing away the guilt of their Sins ; great Sins they make to be little , and little Sins they make to be none at all , and thus they do away their Sins , and so they Live in them customarily , and Die in them impenitently , and perish under them irrecoverably .

The least sin allow'd is a sign of an hypocritical Heart . Fourthly , Consider that the allowance an● cordial approbation but of the least Sin is ● certain sign of a most rotten and hypocritica● Heart . Be thy Conversation never s● blameless , be thy profession never so glorious , be thy Duties and Services never s● pompous ; yet if there be the secret reservation and allowance but of the leas● Sin ; all this is no more than so much vain show and pageantry : Jam. 1.26 . What says the Apostle , Jam. 1.26 . If any Man among you seem t● be Religious , and bridleth not his Tongue that Man deceiveth himself , his Religion is vain : Why , is it not strange that after so many prayers daily put up to God after an eminent profession , and a considerable progress made in the ways of God that yet both the sincerity and success o● all this should depend upon so small ● thing as the tip of a man's Tongue ? If tha● be allowed to run at random into impertinencies , not to say into Debaucheries and Prophaneness , all your Duties , all you● Prayers , all your Profession is blown away by the same Tongue that uttered them and all your Religion will be in vain ; and let me add , This seeming Religion will en● only in shame and confusion at the last when the Soul and Conscience of a sinner shall be ript open at the great Day before Men and Angels , and that little Sin that kept God and Christ and Eternal Salvation out , shall openly be shew'd ●o all the World , and laughed at by all ●he World ; that such a Sin should keep ● Man from Heaven and Eternal Happiness . And therefore says David , Psal. 119.6 . Psal. 119.6 . Then shall I not be ashamed , when I ●ave respect unto all thy Commandments . To have respect to some of God's Commandments , and not to all , is now Hypocrisy and will at last be shame and ●onfusion . It is a most certain Truth , ●hat though the Commission of the grea●est Sin be consistent with the truth of Grace , yet so is not the approbation of ●he least Sin . Oh! what a severe and cri●ical thing is true Holyness , that will no more allow the least Transgression than ●he greatest ; nor more tolerate the de●ilement of Dust in our Hearts than a Dunghill . We have all of us need there●ore to pray with David , Psal. 139.23 . Psal. 139.23 . Search me , O Lord , and try my Heart , try me and know my Thoughts , and see if ●here be any evil way in me ; because our Sins may be so little as to escape our own ●earch , and because the least Sin if let alone in the Heart , will like a small speck in fruit , spread to a total rottenness : Therefore , O Lord , do thou search and try us , and if there be any way of wickedness in us , cast thou out our Corruptions , that so thou maist not cast us out as corrupt and rotten at the last .

Little Sins make way for greater Sins . Fifthly , Consider little Sins do usually make way and open a passage into the Heart for the greatest and vilest Sins . Thus a little thief that creeps in at the Window , may unlock the Door for others that stand without . And thus in fared with David , while sensual Delight crept in by the eye at the sight of Bathsheba , it opened his Heart to the temptation , and in rusht those two outrageous Sins of Adultery and Murder . Believe it there is no Sin so small but tends to the utmost wickedness that can possibly be committed . An irreverent Thought of God , tends to no less than Blasphemy and Atheism . A slight grudge at another , tends to no less than Murder . A lascivious Thought tends to no less than impudent and common Prostitution : And though at first they seem to play only singly about the Heart , yet within a while they will mortally wound it .

There are two things give little Sins their growth and increase .

First , The Devil by his Temptations , is continually nursing up youngling Sins till they arrive to a full strength and stature of wickedness . He is continually suiting Occasions and Temptations to the propensions of our Lusts : Hath he wrought any sinful desire , or any evil purpose in you , he will take care you shall not long want an occasion to fulfil it . Were it not for his vigilancy many a Sin must needs Die in the Womb that conceived it ; but as it was conceived by his Temptations , so is it brought forth by his industry and diligence .

Secondly , Natural Corruption it self is of a thriving , growing Nature . If any Lust hath seized strongly on the thoughts , and boils there , it will vent it self in Discourse . A bad Heart , as well as a bad Liver will break out at the Lips ; and if the Discourse be poysonous , the Venom will spread it self into the Life and Conversation ; for out of the abundance of the Heart the Mouth speaketh ; and evil Words corrupt good Manners . Sinful Thoughts form themselves into Words , and Words will consolidate themselves into Actions ; and then Sin is perfected , and hath attained its full growth : And if you would know what the next degree or step is that Sin takes , the Apostle St. James tells you , Jam. 1.15 . When Lust hath conceived , it bringeth forth Sin ; and Sin , when it is perfected , bringeth forth Death . You can no more set bounds to your Corruptions , than to the raging Sea ; nor say to it , Hitherto shall thy proud Waves go and no further . It were Folly , when you have set fire to a Train of Powder , to expect it should stop any where short of the utmost of it . So truly , when the Thoughts are set on fire of Hell , this will inflame the Tongue , and that will inflame the Life ; and unless God's infinite Mercy prevent , this burning will stop no where short of everlasting burning . Ask but your own Experiences this ; Have you not often found it so ? Hath not the Devil drill'd you on from little Sins to great Sins , and from these , to far greater Abominations ? Believe it , there is a bottomless deceit in every Sin , and this is the desperate issue of it , that if once you come to account any Sin small , you will soon reckon the greatest Sin to be no more . We commonly reckon the greatness of Sin by the abruptness of our advance to it . Possibly it would seem a horrid thing at the first rising of a Temptation in our hearts , if we should presently perpetrate the utmost of it into Act ; therefore the Method of Sin is more smooth and deceitful ; it counts a sinful Thought a little Transgression , and sinful Discourse to have but a little more guilt in it than a sinful Thought , and sinful Actions to have but a little more guilt in them than sinful Words . A great Sin but in a little degree exceeds a less ; and so comparing Sin with Sin , and not with the Law , we at length come by invisible Advances to look upon the greatest Impieties in the world to be but little Sins , and so to commit them . If Satan prevails with us to go with him one step out of our way , we are in danger to stop no where till we come to the height of all Prophaneness ; he will make us take a second , and a third , and so to travel on to Destruction ; for each of these is but one step ; the last step of Sin is but one step , as well as the first ; and if the Devil prevails with us to take one step , why should he not prevail with us to take the last step as well as the first step , seeing it is but one ? Your second Sin no more exceeds your first , than your first doth your Duty ; and so of the rest . We should not therefore account any Sin small , but look upon them as the spawn of all the vilest Abominations : And as you would abhor Death and Hell , so abhor the least Sin ; because it hath a Plot upon us in subserviency to greater Sins , that without infinite Mercy , will certainly bring to , and terminate in Death and Hell .

Little Sins so called are indeed the greatest . Sixthly , Consider that those Sins that we commonly call the least , are indeed the greatest and vilest Provocations . Some Sins are Sins of greater Infamy and Scandal ; other Sins are Sins of greater Guilt and Sinfulness , rude and blustering Sins . Those Sins that are of greater Infamy , are such as make him that commits them , a scandalous person ; and these are commonly reputed great and crying Sins by the World . If a Man be a Swearer , or a Drunkard , a Whoremonger , or an Adulterer , or a Murtherer ; These Sins make a Man a Scorn and a Reproach to all that pretend to Civility . But now there are other Sins that are inward and spiritual Sins , that are indeed more sinful , though less scandalous ; such as Vnbelief , Hypocrisie , Hardness of Heart , Slighting and Rejecting of Christ , Resisting the Holy Ghost , and the like . Now herein lies the great mistake of the World in estimating of Sin : At the naming of the former , we are ready to tremble , and so indeed we ought ; and not only so , but we ought to shun and avoid those that are guilty of them , as Monsters of Men. But now we have no such abhorrency against the latter ; if the Life be free from gross Enormities , we look upon Vnbelief and Impenitency but as small and trivial sins . Now those Sins that we thus slight , are incomparably the greatest and the vilest Sins . Murther , Adultery , Blasphemy , and the rest of those crying Impieties , could not damn the Soul , were it not for Vnbelief and Impenitency : It is not the Swearer , or the Drunkard that perish ; but it is the Vnbeliever : He that believes not is condemned already , John 3.18 . And so hating of God , and a secret scorning and despising of Holiness , and the Ways of God ; these are Sins that do not defile and pollute the outward Man ; and many doubtless are guilty of them , that are of a fair and civil Life and Conversation ; and yet these are Sins that may out-vie with the most horrid Sins for the hottest and lowest place in Hell . We see then what small heed is to be given to the Judgment of the World concerning small Sins : Those that the World counts little Sins , may be great and heinous in the sight of God ; for God judgeth not as Man judgeth ; he is a Spirit , and therefore spiritual Sins and Provocations , such as Inordinacy in the Thoughts , Desires and Affections , these are Sins possibly that are more heinous in God's Sight , than more carnal and grosser Sins are .

Damnation for little Sins will be most into lerable damnation Seventhly , and lastly , Consider this ; Damnation for little Sins will be most aggravated , and most intolerable Damnation . Oh , will it not be a most cutting Consideration to the Soul in Hell , when it shall think , here I lie and fry for ever in unquenchable Flames , for the gratifying of my self in that which I call'd little Sins ! Fool that ever I was , that I should account any Sin little that would bring to this place of Torment ! There 's another of my fellow-wretched Sinners , between whom and me there was as much difference as there was between me and a true Saint ; He prophane and daringly wicked , I honest and civil ; and yet for allowing my self in those Sins to which the World encouraged me , and called little Sins , the same Hell that holds him , shall hold me for ever . Oh , the dreadful Severity of God! Oh wretched Folly and Madness of mine ! Oh insufferable Torments and Anguish ! Believe ●t , thus will those that are damned for small and little Sins , reflect upon their former Lives ; such will be their dismal Reflections , and such will be yours also ; expect no other , if being warned of the great Evil that there is in little Sins , you will yet persist in them without Repen●ance .

And thus I have done with the Doctrinal Part of the Text ; I now come to make some Application of it .

And the First Use shall be by way of Corollary : If so be that little Sins have in them so much danger and guilt as hath been demonstrated to you , what shall we then think of great and notorious Impieties ? If Sands will sink a Man so deep into the Lake of Fire and Brimstone , how deep then will their Hell be that are plunged into it with Talents of Lead bound upon their Souls ? Whilst I have been setting forth the Aggravations of the great Evil that there is in little Sins , possibly some prophane Spirit or other may thus argue ; if little Sins be so dangerous and damning , then , since it is utterly impossible to keep our selves free from all Sins whatever , what need I scruple the greatest Sin more than the least ? I am stated down under a necessity of sinning , and I am told that the rate that every Sin will stand me in , is eternal Death ; the least is not less , and the greatest is no more : It is but ridiculous Folly for a Malefactor nicely to shun the Dirt , and pick out the cleaner ●ath , when he is going to Execution : ●nd so it is but a Folly for me to go the ●raiter and severer way to Hell ; and ●herefore since there is no difference be●ween Sins in the end , but all alike lead ●own to the same Destruction , I will put ●o difference between them in my pra●tice . But let such presumptuous Sin●ers know ,

First , That , All Mens sins are not equal . as all Mens Sins are not ●ual here , so neither shall all Mens Tor●ents he equal hereafter : Some shall be ●aten with fewer , others with more ●ripes ; some shall be chastised with ●hips , others with Scorpions . The E●rnal Furnace shall be heated seven ●mes hotter for some than for others : ●nd for whom is the greater wrath pre●red , but for the greatest Sinners ? In ●e blackest and hottest place in Hell ●ere is chained the great Devil , that ●rch Rebel against God ; and after him ● ranked whole Clusters of damned ●irits , each according to their several ●grees both of Sin and Torment . He ●at suffers the least , suffers no less than Hell ; but yet he is in a condition to be envied at by those whose daring and desperate Wickednesses have brought upon them far heavier and sorer vengeance ; these shall have cause to envy the state of little Sinners , even as they do envy the state of glorified Saints in Heaven . Do not therefore conclude , that because the wages of the least sin is Death , therefore the wages of the greatest Sin is no more , nor no worse : For , though in a natural Death , there is no being dead a little ; yet in the spiritual and eternal Death there are degrees . As the Civi● Man was a Saint here on Earth , in comparison of the Lewd and Debauched Sinner ; so shall he be happy hereafter in comparison of his Torments . Let such therefore seriously consider how sad and infinitely wretched their Condition mus● needs be , since that no less than Damnation it self shall be judged a Happiness compared with what they shall suffer and what Wrath they shall lie under to Eternity .

In committing great sins we avoid not less sins . Secondly , Consider , In the commissio● of great Sins , you do not avoid the commission of less Sins ; but only add to th● guilt of them , and to that Damnation that will follow upon them . It is true , if a meer Civil Man , whose highest Attainments are but some commendable external Vertues ; if he could change the guilt of all the little Sins that he hath committed in his whole Life , for the single guilt of some great and heinous Sin , ( though I pretend not to know the size or quantity of wrath that every Sin deserves ) yet possibly his eternal punishment might be hereby somewhat diminished . But this is the Misery of great and presumptuous Sinners , that they stand guilty of as many little sins as they do that perish under the guilt of no other but little sins . Where do you see a Person that is given up to vile Abominations , but he lives also in a constant course and practice of lesser Sins ? The Drunkard , the unclean Person , and the rest of them , are they not always sinful in their Thoughts , frothy and vain in their Discourses ? And is it nothing to you , that you incur Damnation by little Sins , unless you can advance your own destruction ; unless you can promote your selves to be next of all in torments to the Devil himself , by your greater Provocations and Impieties ? As you see in Rivers , the natural course of them tends to the Sea ; but the Tide joyning with them , makes the Current run th● swifter and the more forcibly ; so is it wit● Sin ; little sins are the natural stream o● a Man's Life , that do of themselves ten● Hell-ward , and are of themselves enough to carry the Soul down silently and calmly to destruction ; but whe● greater and grosser sins join with them they make a violent Tide , that hurrie the Soul away with a more swift an● rampant motion down to Hell , tha● little sins would or could do of themselves . Therefore when you hear ho● much evil there is in little sins , presume not to think there is nothing more in great sins ; yes certainly , God is more provoked by them , your own Consciences are more wounded by them , Hell i● more inflamed by them , and your own Souls are more widened and capacitated by these great sins to receive fuller and larger Vials of God's wrath , than they would be by the commission of lesser sins only . We may take an estimate in what proportion God's dealings with Sinners will be when he comes to punish them , by observing how he deals with them when he comes to convince and humble them ; the sober Sinner feels no such Pangs and Throes usually in the New Birth ; but God deals with him in a more mitigated and gentle manner ; but when at any time he humbles a notorious blustering Sinner , usually his Method is , even to break his Bones , and scorch up his Marrow ; and that he may save him from a Hell hereafter , he creates a very Hell in his Conscience here . Now as it is usually thus ●n Conviction , so is it always thus in Condemnation , of which Convictions are but , as it were , the Type and Resemblance : When God comes to execute his Wrath and Vengeance upon Sinners for their Sins , his Hand shall be very heavy and sore upon Civilized Sinners : Oh , but the bold , daring , presumptuous Sinner , him he will press down , and break in pieces with all his might : He that suffers the least , shall yet lie under intolerable Wrath ; but where then , unless in the flaming depth of the Bottom of Hell , will the infamous and prophane Sinner appear ?

Secondly , Another use we may make of this Doctrine is this ; Is there so great an Evil and Danger in little Sins ? Then here behold a woful Ship-wrack of all the Hopes , and of all the Confidences of Formalists and Self-Justitiaries , that hope to appear before God upon the account of their own Innocency and Harmlesness . Hence learn that a quiet , civil , honest Life , free from gross and scandalous Impieties is no good Plea or Title for Heaven ; yet truly this is that alone that the generality , especially of the Ignorant relie upon , their Lives are harmless their Dealings upright , none can justly challenge them that they have done them any wrong ; were they presently to appear before God's Judgment-seat , they know nothing by themselves that deserves Eternal Death ; therefore if God save any Persons in the World , sure they are in the number of them . But is it so indeed ? What do you know nothing by your selves ? Had you never so much as a Thought in you that stept awry ? Did you never lodge a Thought in you that had in it the least Vanity , Impertinency , or Frivolousness ? Have you never uttered a Word that did so much as lispe against the Holy Law of God ? Will you dare to tell God you never yet flid an Action that Innocency it self would be ashamed to own ? Have your Lives in every part been as strict and holy as the Law of God commands them to be ? if not , it is in vain to plead for Heaven that your Conversations have been honest , civil and harmless , or that you have been Religious , and maintained a constant Course of holy Duties and good Works . I would not here be mistaken by any as if I were preaching against Morality , or condemning Civility and common Honesty . No , by no means , they are excellent things , and the practice of them very commendable ; and I heartily wish there were more of them to be found in the Lives of those that call themselves Christians : But if this be all you can say for your selves , believe it the guilt but of one of your least Sins will out-weigh all these ; and you , and all this your Righteousness must sink down together into Hell . If this be all Men have to plead for Happiness , a civil , fair , and honest Conversation : This may be ; and yet Men may indulge themselves in little Sins , which will most certainly ruine and destroy them .

Thirdly , If there be so great evil and danger in little Sins , hence learn wha● absolute need we stand in of Christ , no● only those among us whose Lives an● openly gross and scandalous , but eve● those who are most circumspect and most careful in their Walkings . Though you do not wallow and roll your selve in the common Filth and Pollutions o● the World ; yet is it not possible but tha● our Garments should be sometimes spotted ? An absolute and perfect State is rather to be wished for than enjoy'd in this Life : The utmost that we can attain to here , is not to commit great Sins , nor to allow our selves in little Sins when thorough daily Infirmity we do commit them . Why , now these little Sins that the best of God's Servants daily and hourly slip into , cannot be pardon'd without the Blood of a great and mighty Saviour . It is the same precious Blood of Jesus Christ that satisfied Divine Justice , for the Incest of Lot , for the Drunkenness of Noah , for the Adultery and Murder of David , and for the Perjury of Peter , that must satisfie it also for thy vain Thoughts , and for thy Foolish and idle Words , if ever thou art saved : For without Blood there is no remission , Heb. 9.22 . Heb 9.22 . Acts 26.18 . And without remission there is no salvation , Acts 26.18 . The same Blood that is a Propitiation and Atonement for the greatest Sins of the Saints now in Heaven , many whereof possibly have been as great as ever were committed on Earth ; the same Blood of Atonement must take from thee the Guilt of thy vain Thoughts , and of thy idle Words , or thou must for ever perish under them .

Fourthly , If there be so great evil and danger in little Sins , hence see then , what cause we have to bemoan and humble our selves before God , with Tears in our Eyes , and Sorrow in our Hearts , even for our little Sins . We should never approach before the Throne of Grace in Prayer , but before the close thereof , we should in Confession mourn over and beg strength against those that the World calls , and we account , small Sins . Indeed it is impossible to confess them all particularly ; who can reckon up the vain Thoughts and idle Words of one Day , without a whole Day 's time to recount them ; for indeed we do little else in the Day ? And who then can reckon up the vain Thoughts and idle Words that he is guilty of in his whole Life , without living over his whole Life to recount them ? When we have therefore confessed the more observable Failings of every Day , we ought to wrap up the rest in a general , but yet in a serious and sorrowful Acknowledgment . Thus you find David did , Psalm 51. where you have him confessing his two foul Sins of Adultery and Murder . It is true one would think he should have been so intent upon the begging of Pardon for those Sins , as that he could not spare a Petition to ask Pardon for any other Sins : But yet though these were his great Sins , yet he knew himself guilty of other Transgressions besides , though of a less Nature ; and therefore he sums up all together , and heartily begs pardon for them in the heap , vers. 9. Hide thy face from my sins , and blot out all my iniquities . And so truly we ought in our daily Prayers to God , after particular Confession of those Sins that do more nearly touch and grate upon our Consciences , to bind up the ●est in one general Petition , and so pre●ent them to God for Pardon in some such like manner as this : Lord , my own Conscience condemns me , and thou art greater than my Conscience , and knowest all things ; I have observed much Sin and guilt by my self this Day , and thou who searchest the Heart and triest the Reins , knowest far more by me than I do by my self ; but whatever I know by my self , or whatever thou knowest by me , Lord do thou freely pardon and forgive it all unto me . Only here take heed that when you thus make your Confessions of your small Sins in general , you do not also make them overtly , slightly and superficially , which is the common Fault of those that confess Sin by the heap . As many little Sins of an ordinary Infirmity , do equal the Guilt of one great Sin : So truly when we thus every Day confess many of them together , we ought to be deeply affected with true godly Sorrow , and as earnestly pray for the pardon of them , and as importunately beg power and strength against them , with the same Tears , Groans and holy Shame , as if that Day we had committed some more gross and heinous Sin . When therefore in your Prayers you come to this Request ▪ Lord pardon me the Sins and Failings of this Day , think with your self , now I ought to be as fervent , as affectionate and penitent , as if I were confessing Drunkenness or Murder ; for possibly the little Sins and Failings that I have committed this Day , if they were all of them put together , the Guilt of them may amount to be as great as one of those gross Sins . Now upon such a general Confession and Humiliation as this is , God issues out a Pardon in course for our common and ordinary Infirmities , and by one Act of Oblivion blots out many Acts of Provocation .

There are two Considerations that may be very useful to us in order to the humbling of our selves before God for little Sins .

By little Sins we continually offend God . First , Consider these little Sins are those Sins whereby we continually without intermission offend against God , and provoke him against our own Souls . Still either the Matter of our Actions are contrary to the Holy Will and Law of God , or the manner in which we per●orm them : If the Substance of our Actions are not evil , yet the Circum●tances are , there 's not a Word in Pray●r , not a Thought in Meditation , but ●ath the Guilt of some Sin cleaving to 〈◊〉 ; and if it be so with us in our Holy Performances , how do you think then it ●s with us in our common and ordinary Conversation ? And should it not deep●y humble us to consider , that there is ●ot one hour , no , nor one moment of ●ur Lives free from Sin , that our Pulses ●eat too slow to keep an Account of our ●ins by ; our Thoughts are continual● in Motion without intermission or ces●ation , and yet , Every one of the Imagina●ions of the Thoughts of our Hearts are only ●vil , and that continually , Gen. 6.5 . Gen. 6.5 . Certainly did we seriously consider what ●t is we say , when we confess to God ●hat our whole Lives are nothing but one continued course of Sin , those moments , every one of which brings fresh Guilt upon ●s , would not slide away so pleasantly with us as they do ; but because our Sins seem small to us , we regard them not ; and so our Time wasts , and our Guilt encreaseth , till Eternity puts a period an● full end to those Sins , to which w● could never put any stop or intermission .

Little Sins proceed from a corrupt Nature . Secondly , Consider , what a corrupt and depraved Nature these little Sins ● flow from . When at any time we are sensible of a vain and sinful Though rising up in our Hearts , we should trace ● along to the Fountain of it , even Original Corruption from whence it bubble● up : If we would but do so , we should se● great cause to be deeply humbled for that fruitful seed-plot of all manner of Sins that is in our Hearts . Many thousands of Lusts lie crawling and knotting together there that never yet saw the light ; the Damned in Hell have not worse Natures in them than we have : There is no Sin how horrid so ever that they committed on Earth , or can be supposed to commit now in Hell , but we also should run into it , did not God's powerful restraints with-hold us . Now do little Sins proceed from such a Corrupt and cursed Fountain , and have we not then great cause to be humbled before the Lord for them and say , Lord , here is Sin , a little Sin it is , but yet it proceeds from a Heart that hath in it the Spawn of all the greatest and vilest Sins that ever were or can be committed ; and that it is but a vain Thought , and not Blasphemy , Murder , or Adultery , or any of the greatest and most crying Sins that ever were committed in the World , is to be acknowledged and attributed only to the powerful restraint of thy free Grace : For the same corrupt Fountain that sends forth this vain Thought and that idle Word , would have sent forth Blasphemy , Adultery , Atheism , or any of the vilest Abominations ; but it is thy free Grace only that hath restrain'd us .

Fifthly , and Lastly , If there be so great Evil and Danger in little Sins , this then should teach us , We should take heed of making light of any Sin . not to make light of any Sin . Load every Sin with its due Weight , give every Sin its proper Aggravations , and then certainly you will see no Reason to account any of them to be small or little . To help you in this , take briefly these Directions .

First , Pray earnestly for a wise and an understanding Heart , and for a soft and tender Conscience . Some Sins so Counterfeit an harmless appearance , and look so innocently , that a Man had need of much spiritual Wisdom , to know how to distinguish between Good and Evil , and to put a difference between those things , that differ as much as Heaven and Hell do : Now this ariseth from that great blindness and ignorance that is in Mens minds , whereby they cannot discern that great evil and mischief that lurks under small Sins , but are apt to account every thing that is not scandalous and grosly wicked to be but an indifferent matter : And as their Minds are thus blinded , so their Hearts are hardned , that what they see and know to be sinful , yet they will dare to venture upon it : Whence is it else that the generality of the World live in the Commission of those that they call little Sins , but because their Hearts are hardned , and their Consciences seared , that those Sins that are great enough to Damn them , yet are not great enough to trouble them . A tender Conscience is like the Apple of a mans Eye , the least dust that gets into it afflicts it . No surer and better way to know whether our Consciences begin to grow dead and stupid , then to observe what impressions small Sins make upon them . If we are not very careful to avoid all appearance of Evil , and to shun whatsoever looks like Sin ; if we are not as much troubled at the vanity of our Thoughts and Words , at the rising up of sinful motions and desires in us , as we have been formerly ; we may then conclude our Hearts are hardned , and our Consciences are stupifying ; for a tender Conscience will no more allow of small than of great Sins .

Secondly , Labour always to keep alive upon your Hearts awful and reverent Thoughts of God , his Omnipresence and Omniscience ; That there is no Sin so small but he knows it , though but a Sin in our Thoughts , yet every Thought of our Hearts is altogether known unto him . Call to remembrance his infinite Purity and Holiness whereby he hates every little Sin , even with an infinite hatred as well as the greatest . Think of his Power whereby he can , and of his Truth , Justice and Severity whereby he will punish every little Sin with no less than Eternal Destruction : And whilest you thus think of God , indulge your selves in little Sins if you can . The Psalmist gives this very Direction , Ps. 4.4 . Stand in awe and Sin not , that is of the infinite glorious Majesty of God . Have awful thoughts and reverential apprehensions of God abiding upon your Hearts and that will keep you from sinning : Stand in awe and Sin not . To look upon Sin thorough the Attributes of God , is to look upon it through a Magnifying Glass , and thus you may best see its ugly deformed Nature ; this is the best way to represent the infinite guilt that is in it , and that contrariety that it bears to the Holy Nature of God . And while you thus see Sin comparing it with God , even the least Sin must appear hainous : And when you are Tempted to any Sin , while you thus think , you may repell a Temptation as Joseph did his Mistress , Gen. 39.9 . How shall I do this great wickedness and Sin against God : The World indeed counts it but a little Sin , but looking upon it and comparing it with the Holiness and Purity of God , we must cry out , How shall we commit this Sin though accounted little by others , and so provoke a great and holy God ?

Thirdly , Get a more thorough acquaintance with the Spiritual sence and meaning of the Law . This was the cause why the Pharisee did so slight the commission of small Sins ; because he kept himself to the Literal Sence of the Law ; and so , because there he was commanded not to kill , not to commit Adultery , and the like , thought , if he did abstain from the outward Act of those Sins , he observed the Law ; yea , and observed it sufficiently . But now the spiritual meaning of the Law , that forbids not only the outwar● Act , but it forbids whatever tends ● the outward Act ; inward Though ● Motions , Desires , Complacencies in ● that are presented to the Fancy , ● whatever tends to , or belongs unto S● the spiritual Sence of the Law forbids all these . Why , now grow more in acquaintance with the spiritual sence and meaning of the Law , and then you will thin● small Sins , such as the Sins of the Thoughts , of the Desires , and of the Fancy , and the like , to be no less forbidden by the Law , than Murder or Adultery , and other heinous Sins ; the Law having as strictly forbid the one as the other .

Fourthly , and Lastly , Beware you compare not Sins among themselves . The Apostle speaks of some , 2 Cor. 10.12 . Who measuring themselves by themselves , and comparing themselves among themselves , were not wise . Truly it is as great a Folly for us to measure Sin by Sin , or to compare one Sin with another . For as when we measure our selves with others , our Pride is apt to suggest to us , That such and such are inconsiderable Persons in comparison of us : So , when we measure one Sin by another , Corruption is apt to suggest to us , such a Sin is a small and inconsiderable Sin in comparison of another Sin ; and therefore I may venture upon it . Certainly , if we observe it , there are two sad Events usually follow upon our comparing Sins among themselves . Either ,

First , We make little Sins less than they are ; or if we are beaten off from such false Opinions , by being shewn how great an Evil there is in them , then ,

Secondly , We make it as good to commit the greatest Sin as the least . These two sad Events always happen , if we compare one Sin with another . Compare not therefore Sin with it self ; but compare Sin with thy Duty ; compare the least Sin with the Holiness of that God against whom thou committest it ; and this is the way whereby you may be brought to account no Sin to be small or little .

OF ABSTAINING FROM THE Appearance of EVIL : IN TWO SERMONS ON 1 THESSAL . V. 22.

Abstain from all Appearance of Evil.

By EZEKIEL HOPKINS , late Lord Bishop of London-Derry .

LONDON , Printed by E. H. for NATHANAEL RANEW , at the King's Arms in St. Paul's Church-Yard , 1693.

Of Abstaining from the Appearance of Evil. FROM 1 THESS. V. 22.

Abstain from all Appearance of Evil.

MY last Subject , as you may remember , was to shew you the great Evil and Danger that there is in Little Sins : Now because the Words at present read unto you , seem to have a near cognation to the Truth then delivered ; it being a most certain gradation , that he that would avoid great Sins , must avoid little Sins ; and he that would avoid both great and little , must consequently shun also the very Appearances of Sin .

I have therefore pitched upon thi● brief Exhortation of the Apostle , tha● thereby we might , as far as is possible be led up unto that exact Purity and Holiness , the endeavour after which is absolutely necessary by all those whos● Desire and Care it is to obtain eterna● Salvation .

Now in sundry Verses before the Text the Apostle laid down several sedatiou● Commands : Let none render evil for evil ; rejoyce evermore ; pray without ceasing ; in every thing give thanks ; quench not the Spirit ; prove all things ; abstain from all appearance of evil ; being now towards the end and close of his Epistle , and not willing to omit the mentioning of Duties so necessary for their Practice , he doth , as it were , pour them out in weighty , though short , Exhortations . The connexion betwixt most of them is very dark , or else none at all , only betwixt the Text and the two immediately foregoing Verses , it may seem more plain and natural . In v. 20. he exhorts them not to despise Prophesying ; Despise not Prophesie ; that is , the Preaching even of the common and ●dinary Preachers and Teachers , whose ●ffice it was to expound the Scriptures ● them , and to declare the Mind and ●ill of God out of the Scripture . Did ●e Apostle mean only that extraordina● and miraculous Prophesying that he ●oke of , 1 Cor. 14. When by an imme●ate impulse and influence of the Holy ●host , either they foretold things future , ● else spake in divers Languages ; he ●eeded not then to have so sollicitously ●re warned them not to despise him ; ●nce so great a Miracle as this Prophesy●g of , would sufficiently have vindica●d it self from all contempt : The leaning therefore is this ; Whatever ●ifts or Graces you may have attained ●nto , though you may know your du●es as well , and though you may pra●tise your duties better than they ; yet ●espise not their Teaching ; but what they ●ropound to you as the Will of God , that ●ttend unto with all reverence and submission : But yet , says the Apostle , I would ●ot have you therefore pull out your own yes because of the gifts of your Teach●rs and Leaders ; no , do not mancipate ●nd captivate your selves to whatever ●hey shall dictate unto you ; but prove all things ; as it is in ver. 21. Search th● Scriptures ; examine whether the thing delivered to you be true or not ; if upon trial you find them so ; then , hold fo● the form of sound words , in v. 21. Hol● fast that which is good : But if , upon in partial search , you understand and sin that the Doctrine delivered to you , b● unsound , then abstain from it ; thoug● the Doctrine delivered to you be tru● yet if their Expressions be deceitful , ● such as may lead into Errour ; if the Notions be dangerous ; if their Expre●sions be bold and adventurous , thoug● you must not reject the Doctrine , ye● abstain from that appearance of evil tha● is in them .

Hence , from the Connexion , we may observe , That in the delivering and receiving of Doctrines , we should carefully abstain , not only from what is unsound and dangerous , but also from what is unsafe and venturous . And truly had this Caution of our Apostle been duly regarded ; had not Teacher● luxuriant Tongues , and Hearers itching Ears , loathing old Truths , unless they appear set off in new Dresses , our Time ●d not been so fruitful in those Mon●rs of Opinions that make it disputa●e , whether our Knowledge or our Er●urs were more . It is a true Saying ●ong the Ancients , That Heresies ●ead from Words , if not falsly , yet ●duly and improperly spoken . The ●olish , rash , and daring Expressions that ●ve dropp'd from Men sound in the ●ruth , being received by those that have ●t been able to put a difference betwixt ●hat is Proper , and what is Figurative ; ●hat is Doctrinal , and what is Rhetori●l , have been the occasion of leading ●any aside into most dangerous and de●ructive Tenets : Certainly Christian ●eligion is a thing more severe and pun●tual than to be rhetoricated upon , and ●ourished with Oratory , that may through ●earers Mistakes as much pervert the ●udgment , as it may please and tickle ●he Fancy . There is great weight in Words ; for by them the Understanding ● steered , either into the knowledge of Truth , or else into the embracing of Er●our ; and therefore we ought to use ●ch Expressions as are least liable to any Mis-apprehensions , or Mis-interpreta●ions . It is not enough to speak that which may possibly be fetch'd off wi● Truth by a distinction ; but if we d● but consult the Ignorance of some an● the Malice of others , we should see re●son enough to speak , if possibly , so ● that the ignorant might not be able ● mistake us , nor the malicious be able ● mis-construe us . As for instance , ● affirm that we are mystically united u●to Christ , and thereby become one wi● him , this is a most high and most u●doubted Truth ; but to say that we a● Goded and Christed , as some have go● about to express this ineffable Myster● in sweet and sugar-words , this hath bee● the occasion of that familistical Blasphemy and Nonsence that hath invaded ● many parts of the Nation . We must observe and consider also that the sence an● meaning of many Expressions vary an● alter from the Time in which they wer● used . Those very Words that were wel● used some Ages since in Matters of D●vinity and Religion cannot now be use without appearance of evil in them , because now their Signification is quite di●ferent from what it was then : I will instance but in one , and that is concerning the meriting of good Works : It is tru● the Ancient Fathers of the Church did hold there was Merit in good Works ; but yet it is clear also by their Writings that the Word Merit did not then signifie as now it doth ; then it signified only Rewardableness ; and when any maintained that Works merited , the common Sence of them all , was no more than this , That their Works should be rewarded by God , and this is all that they did affirm . But now the Word Merit signifies Desert in Works arising from the Eqruality that is in them , to the Reward propounded and promised to them ; and therefore now to assert that Works have Merit in them , is very unsafe and erroneous ; which whilst the Papists do , they do indeed still retain the Expressions of the Ancient Fathers , but the Sence is gone ; that is , they still hold fast the Feather when the Bird is flown away . We should therefore beware in our Discourses of the doubtful Things of Religion , that we venture not upon those Phrases and Expressions that either border upon Error , or that may likely lead into Error . And truly the generality of Christians have need of much spiritual Prudence and Sobriety , that while they desire and are taken with luscious and sweet Words and Expressions , they do not withal suck in poisonous and destructive Errors . This shall suffice to be observed from the connexion of the Words foregoing , Prove all things , that is , all Doctrines that are delivered to you , Hold fast that which is good , but abstain from that which hath but the appearance of evil in it ; though the Doctrines themselves that are delivered be in some Sence sound and savoury , yet if they be delivered in a Sence and Expression that may be wrested aside to undue and erroneous Interpretations , abstain as far as is possible from such Expressions .

I shall now consider the Words under a more general Latitude as they relate unto Practice as well as to Doctrine ; and so here the Apostle lays it down as an unerring Rule , That we must not embrace any thing that hath but an appearance and no more , whether that appearance be of good or of evil : We must not hold fast any thing that hath but the appearance of good only , and we must abstain from every thing that hath but only the appearance of evil ; and therefore when licentious Persons are reproved for the Vanity , Looseness , Strangeness , and Immodesty of their Garbs and Attire ( that possibly more disguiseth than adorneth them ) and other Symptoms of a vain and frothy Mind , they think presently to cover their Nakedness with such Fig-leaves as these ; What Evil is there in these things ? Can you prove them sinful ? If you can , we will forbear the use of them ; if you cannot , forbear you to reprove them . What if they could not be proved to be in themselves sinful ; yet have they not the shew , the face , and the appearance of Evil ? So judge all serious and sober Christians , and your selves also possibly may so judge sometimes : Therefore dispute not the Lawfulness or the Unlawfulness of these things in themselves , if they have but the shew and the likeness of Evil in them , they are to be abstained absolutely from . And truly considering that great Carelesness and want of Circumspection that is even among Professors themselves , who if they can but keep themselves from that which is intrinsically in it self sinful , make no scruple of venturing upon the borders and edges of Sin . I thought it therefore very necessary to open this Phrase and Exhortation of the Apostle unto you ; which I shall endeavour to do in the prosecution of this plain Proposition .

That a truly Conscientious Christian ought carefully to avoid not only the Commission , but also the very Appearance of Evil. Abstain from all Appearance of Evil.

This Point is indeed full of Niceness & Difficulty ; and truly , when the most is said of it that can be , we must stand very much to the Judgment of Christian Prudence , and Christian Charity , for our chief Resolution in it ; of Christian Prudence , to know when an Action hath the Appearance of Evil in it , and when not ; and of Christian Charity , to shun whatever may scandalize others , though we do not defile our selves . It is a Point hardly limited to such Bounds , but in some places there will be a failing ; yet , that I may afford you some Light in the Knowledge of a Duty so necessary as this is , I shall ,

First , Lay down some Distinctions concerning the Appearance of Evil ; and from them ,

Secondly , Lay down some Positions , whereby it may be cleared how far forth we stand obliged to avoid even the very Appearance of Evil.

Thirdly , Some Demonstrations , whereby it may appear how necessary and requisite this Duty of avoiding of the Appearance of Evil is .

I will begin with some Distinctions of the Appearance of Evil : And ,

First , An Appearance of Evil may be either altogether groundless , or else it may be built upon good Grounds , and upon probable Presumptions .

Secondly , That which hath only a groundless Appearance of Evil ; it may so appear either to our selves , or to the Consciences of others .

Thirdly , We must also consider , whether this Action that appears to be evil , be a necessary Action and Duty in it self , or only free and indifferent , and lest to our own free Choice .

Now from these Distinctions , I shall lay down several Positions concerning the Limitation of our Obligation to abstain from all Appearance of Evil.

First , We ought in no Case whatsoever to do that which hath an appearance of Evil in it , if that appearance be grounded upon a probable Presumption .

Now , to explain this ; An Action then carries in it a probable Presumption of being evil , either ,

First , When ordinarily it proves an occasion of Evil ; such Actions there be , that are in themselves possibly lawful ; but yet they prove occasions of Sin to most that venture upon them , because hereby many times they are brought within the Verge and Compass of a Temptation ; which Temptation overcomes them . It was not simply unlawful in it self for Achan to look upon the Babylonish Garment , and the Wedge of Gold ; but yet hereby the Devil got an Advantage upon him , and made that an occasion to stir up his Covetousness ; and therefore , because it was probably to be feared and presumed , that this might be an occasion of Sin to him , therefore he ought to have refrained even his very Eyes from looking upon them .

Secondly , When an Action is ordinarily done to an evil End , then it hath in it the appearance of Evil , grounded upon a probable Presumption . Thus to enter silently into another Man's House in the dead of the night , carries in it a presumption of Theft . And to enter into the Temples of Idols at the time of Idolatrous Worship , carries in it a presumption of Idolatry : and so our Intimacy , Familiarity , and Friendship with those that are wicked , is a grounded presumption that we are like them , and that we do as they do . And the reason of this is , because , when we do those Actions that commonly tend to a bad and sinful end , it is an ill sign that we intend the end it self to which those Actions lead . Now from every such Appearance of Evil , we ought in all Cases to abstain ; and that for these Two following Reasons .

First , Because all such Appearances of Evil always prove Scandals unto others . A Scandal is twofold ; either the Scandal of Sin , or the Scandal of Sorrow : Now this venturing upon the presumed Appearance of Evil , proves a Scandal in both respects ; it proves a Scandal of Sin to the weak , and it proves a Scandal of Sorrow to the strong .

First , It proves a Scandal of Sin to the weak . Then are we said to give a a Scandal of Sin , when we do any thing that tends naturally to bring others into the commission of Sin ; but now the very appearance of Sin in us , may lead others to the practice of Sin ; when a weak Christian sees us run into those things that are Occasions of Sin , he also thinks he may lawfully venture as far as we do ; and he venturing , because possibly he is weaker than we are , he is ensnared and entrapped in those Sins to the Occasions of which we lead him by our Example .

Secondly , It proves also a Scandal of Sorrow to the strong Christians . They see such probable signs and presumptions of Sin by us , that they justly conclude , that certainly we are guilty of those Sins , and thereby their Hearts also are sadned and grieved . And that is the first Reason why we must forbear all appearance of evil , that is built upon strong presumptions that we have indeed committed the Evil.

Secondly , Another Reason is , because all such Occasions of Sin , and such Appearances of Sin have guilt in them also , as being against the same Commandment that that Sin violates and tends unto ; for the same Commandment that forbids the Sin it self , forbids all occasions , and all appearances of that Sin . That Commandment that forbids Theft , forbids also whatever may induce , though but remotely , thereunto . And that Commandment that forbids Adultery , forbids also all remote occasions thereof . Hence it is that Solomon gives the young man that scrupulous Caution against a strange Woman , in Prov. 5.8 . Come not near the door of her House . Why , to pass by the door of her House , is not in it self unlawful ; but yet when this may be justly feared to prove an occasion of Sin , or when by going near a House , it may be strongly presumed by others , that we are guilty of any Sin , then it must be carefully avoided and abstained from . So again , When the Wine looks red in the Cup , Solomon bids us that we should not then look upon it : Why , to look upon the Wine in the Cup , is not a thing that is unlawful ; but because this may be an occasion of Intemperance , and Drunkenness , or the like ; therefore we must abstain from this very appearance and occasion of Evil. So then , in the appearance of Evil , there is not only the evil of Scandal given to others , but there is also the evil of guilt in it self . And therefore let us all examine our selves what at any time hath proved a snare to us , and what hath been an occasion of sinning . Have you not often said it , and resolved it , that you will venture but so far and no farther , and though you do approach near to Sin , yet you will keep your selves within your Duty , and have you not found it , that when you have ventured thus upon the occasions of Sin , you have stopt no where short of the commission of those Sins ? This is to put your selves out of God's way , and to put your selves from under his protection ; for God doth not usually keep them from the commission of Sin , who do not keep themselves from the Occasions and Appearances of Sin . And so much for the First Position .

But if in case an Action appears evil to a Man's self , , though this apprehension of it be wholly groundless , then I shall lay down this Second Position : And that is ,

Though an Action be in it self indifferent , yet if it appear evil and sinful to us , we ought not in any case , while that mis-perswasion continues , to venture upon the doing of it ; no , though by doing of it , we might avoid the greatest Evil : Yea , we are rather , if Providence bring us to that sad choice , to lose our very Lives , than to do any thing against the perswasions of our own Consciences , though in it self it be not evil or sinful . The reason of this is clear ; because we are rather to chuse the greatest Affliction and Suffering , than to commit the least Sin ; but now to go contrary to the Dictates and Perswasions of our own Consciences , this is Sin . Rom. 14.23 . Whatever is not of Faith , is Sin ; that is , whatever a Man doth , if he be not fully perswaded and convinced of the lawfulness thereof in his own Conscience , that is a Sin to him that ventures upon it while he is unsatisfied , though the Thing in it self may be lawful . And he that doubteth , says the Apostle , in the same Verse , is damned if he eateth ; that is , though there be no real difference betwixt one kind of Meat and another , but all are alike lawful ; yet if a scrupulous Conscience puts a difference betwixt them , where there is none , and if it account it unlawful to eat of some sorts of Meat , if after this , a Man ventures to eat them , hereby he sins , says the Apostle , and incurs damnation , by doing that against his Conscience , that yet , were his Conscience otherwise informed , were lawful for him to do . And so , in Rom. 14.20 . For Meat destroy not the Work of God ; all things are pure , but it is evil for him who eateth with offence . These and many other Places clearly prove that what is done against a Man's own Conscience , that is sinful , to that Man . Conscience hath the priviledge of a Negative Vote in the Soul ; nothing can lawfully be done by us but what hath the full consent and approbation of our Consciences , and though every thing we think is lawful , doth not thereupon presently become lawful to us , yet what we think is unlawful , doth thereupon become unlawful for us to do , and we ought , whatever the case be , wholly to abstain from the doing of it .

Thirdly , If the Action that we judge evil and unlawful to us , be our Duty , and so becomes necessary to us , then are we under a most sad entanglement ; we sin if we do it , and we sin also unless we do it . This is the unhappiness of many , that through a mis-informed Conscience they verily believe they ought to abstain from that which is indeed their Duty , and to do that wherein they sin indeed if they do it : And so Christ speaks of some that thought verily they did God good Service when they persecuted and murdered his Saints , in John 16.2 . If they did not what they thought was good service to God , they sinned on that hand ; and yet if they killed the Saints , which they judged to be good service , they sinned on that hand also ; so that they were entangled on both hands . So is it in our days also ; we have seen and known many that thought it their duty to abstain from Ordinances ; yea , who thought it their duty to perform no Duty at all to God : Now , if these Men abstain from them , they sin in doing that which is contrary to what God commands ; if they use them , they sin too , because they do that which is contrary to what Conscience commands . So that it is indeed the greatest Plague and Punishment in the World for God to give Men up to the power of an erroneous and mis-guided Conscience . Now , it appears that whatever a Man doth against his Conscience , be the Action indifferent , or be the Action his Duty , and so is necessary ; yet he sins : Which is evident in two Things .

First , Because there is no man but thinks his Conscience is rightly informed ; no man thinks his Conscience erroneous : every one judgeth himself to be in the right , and to be rightly informed . Now , if he thus judgeth , and acts contrarily , he sins , because he intends to sin ; and therefore by crossing an erroneous Conscience , though possibly he doth well in the Action , yet he sins in Intention , since he doth that that he himself thinks doth cross the Rule by which he should walk .

Secondly , Another Reason is this ; because by acting contrary to Conscience , though mis-informed , and erroneous , we do contemn the Authority and Will of God ; and therefore it is Sin . We are all to guide our Consciences by the Word that is God's written Will ; and we are all to guide our Lives by our Consciences . No man thinks his Conscience to be erroneous ; but thinks it to be according to the Will of God . Now , if we do not act accordingly , we sin as much as if indeed it were informed according to the Will of God . Conscience is God's Deputy and Vice-gerent in the Soul , and what Conscience saith , we think it is God that commands , whether it be or not ; and to act contrary to it , is vertually and implicitely to disobey God ; because we think what Conscience speaks , God speaks ; and therefore it is very sad to fall under the entanglements of an erroneous Conscience ; for then we are under a sad necessity of sinning on both hands : if we act according to it , we sin ; and if we act not according to it , we sin . We should therefore , above all things , heartily beg and desire of God , who is the Lord of Conscience , that he would rightly inform our Consciences in those things that are our Duties , that so by guiding our Lives by our Consciences , we may guide them also according to his Will.

These Three Positions now respect those things that appear evil to our selves ; but then there are other Things that have a good Appearance unto us , that yet may have an evil Appearance to others ; they may scruple , and be offended at what we do , though for our own parts , we our selves are sufficiently satisfied in the Lawfulness of it . And indeed our Times ( what through different Customs and Interests ) have brought Men's Consciences also to such different sizes , that it is utterly impossible but some will condemn what others allow as lawful ; yea , what others not only allow , but stiffly maintain to be necessary , and our Duty . How then should we behave our selves in this Case ? What Rules must we walk by , so as to keep Consciences void of offence , not only to God , but as far as is possible towards Men also ? In this , if any thing that belongs to Christianity , there lies a great deal of difficulty to state the Case aright , or aright to practise it ; and the Difficulty is increased from these two Considerations , which I shall lay down as general Premises to the following Discourse .

First , If we give no power to the scrupulous Judgments of weak and tender Consciences to oblige us to Duty , to abstain from what appears evil to them , then we shall sin evidently against the Law of Charity , and against many Apostolical Injunctions and Commands , that we should have respect to their Opinions and Censures ; especially in Rom. 14. and in 1 Cor. chap. 8 , & 10. almost throughout . Indeed there is scarce any one thing belonging to Christianity that hath more Rules and Prescripts oftner prescribed by the Apostle to us , than this of abstaining from offending the weak Consciences of others .

Secondly , If we make other Mens Consciences the Rule of ours , and if we lay down this for a Maxim , That we ought to do nothing that appears evil to another .

This , First , would be utterly impossible , since Men are of such contrary Perswasions , that if the doing of an Action appear evil to one , the omission thereof appears as evil to another ; so that unless we can at once both do it and not do it , some will unavoidably take offence at it , and be scandalized at us .

Secondly , This would abridge , yea , utterly destroy all Christian Liberty in things indifferent ; because , if nothing should be lawful that another scruples , then almost every thing would become sinful , since almost every thing is scrupled by some or other . In vain therefore is it to reckon it as our Priviledge , that we are freed from the Old Ceremonial Law , and that heavy Yoke of Ordinances that none were able to bear , if yet Christian Religion brings our Consciences under the most imperious Laws of mens Humours , Censures , and Opinions ; it were far easier to abserve all the Levitical Law from one end of it to the other , than to be bound to those worldly Rudiments , as the Apostle calls them in Col. 2. Touch not , taste not , handle not , wear not , speak not , if such a Person be offended at it , and count it unlawful .

Now , from the consideration of these Two Particulars , I shall lay down this Fourth Position , concerning Abstinence from the Appearance of Evil , in respect of others ; and that is , if the Appearance of Evil is to others , and not to our selves , then in some Cases we are bound in Duty and Conscience to abstain from it , and in others not : Whatever hath the Shew or Appearance of Evil in it , it must either be commanded , and so it is necessary ; or else it is left indifferent and arbitrary ; and accordingly we may take these following Rules .

First , If so be those things that appear evil only to others , either are in themselves , or at least they appear to us to be commanded , and so necessary , we are bound not to regard ; yea , we are bound to despise and scorn the Scruples of all the World ; if they will be offended at us for doing of that which is our duty , let them be offended ; we may in this case use the same Plea that the Apostles did , Acts 4.19 . Whether it be right before the Lord to obey Men , rather than God , judge ye . To perform a Duty , can be but a Scandal to men at the most , and those also usually of the prophaner sort ; but to omit a Duty for fear of Scandalizing men , is a Scandal and an Offence even unto God himself . It is most preposterous Charity to run upon Sin in our selves , only to prevent Scandal in others . Though all the World censure Holiness and Strictness of Life to be only a soure and rigid humour , and an affectation of Singularity ; yet must we not , upon any pretence of gratifying their humour , or winning upon them , remit the least part of that severity that the Law of God , and our Consciences require from us .

But , what if suppose , as too often it happens , that this strictness and holy severity proves to be an occasion of Sin unto others accidentally , what must we do in that case ? What is it that makes so many hate Religion , and scoff at the Professors thereof , but only their Lives are too morose and reserved ; Duties are too frequent and tedious ; so that some laugh and mock , others storm and rage , and all are frighted from the embracing of that Profession that requires so much Rigour and Severity . Why , be it so , yet we must not abate any thing of our Duty , nor sin our selves , to keep others from sinning . Is it your duty to pray , or are you call'd to any other Duty ? though you are assured that all that hear you , will scoff at you , yet you ought not therefore for fear of it , to forbear that Duty , or to lessen your Fervency and Affection in it . Here indeed is required much Spiritual Prudence and Discretion , to discern the Seasons of our Duty for several Circumstances ; and among those Offences that wicked Men may take , it may make that cease from being a Duty that at other times is our Duty : And therefore the Wise Man in Prov. 26.4 . bids us , not to answer a Fool according to his Folly ; and yet in the next Verse , he bids us , answer a Fool according to his Folly ; Two Commands quite contrary in two Verses following one another : Now , this is to note to us , That according to several Circumstances and several Opportunities , it may be our duty to abstain at one time from that , that at another time it is our duty to do ; it is our duty sometimes not to reprove a Fool , but to answer him according to his Folly ; and according to divers Circumstances , at another time , it is our duty to reprove him , and not to answer him according to his Folly . But yet notwithstanding that which is our duty in its particular season , and which we are convinced to be so , we ought to perform it , though all the World be offended at it ; yea , and if it were possible that it should prove an occasion of Sin unto all the World , for , as we must not do evil out of hope that it may prove an occasion of good ; so neither must we forbear the doing of good , that evil may occasionally ensue thereupon . Our Saviour Jesus Christ was , as it was prophesied of him , to be a Stone of stumbling , and a Rock of offence ; almost all were scandalized at him ; some at his Doctrine , as a despiser of the Law of Moses ; others at his Conversation , as being a Glutton , a Wine-bibber , and a Friend of Publicans and Sinners ; but yet for all these Out-cries , he alters nothing either in his Teaching , or his Living ; but whilst they are clamouring against him , and speaking evil of him , he still goes about doing good : And truly those that will be the Disciples and Followers of Christ , though the way in which they are to worship and serve God , be generally decried , and every where spoken against , and carp'd at , as needless Peevishness : yet if it be a known Duty , they must not , they ought not to put themselves out of the way of their obedience , to put others out of their groundless Offences . Only let me add a necessary Caution to this Particular also ; for we cannot be too exact in stating this Case of giving offence to others , and that is this .

If that appear a Duty to us that hath an Appearance of Evil in it to the generality of the most sober and serious Christians ( let us suppose that ) why now though this should not presently sway our Consciences , yet it should engage us to make a strict Search and Enquiry , whether it be our duty or not ; if it is that which is contrary to the Opinion and Practice of holy and pious Christians , it ought to have this Authority with us , to put us to a stand , and to make us to examine whether that which we account a Duty , be indeed a Duty or not : As for instance , some among us at this day are perswaded that they ought to worship God one way , and some another ; and what appears a Duty to one , hath the appearance of Evil in it to another ? why now follow neither of these ; because it is their Judgment and Practice ; but yet if thy perswasion be contrary to the perswasion of the most pious and most sober Christians , this ought so far to prevail , as to make men suspect lest they are mistaken , and to put them upon a diligent Enquiry , and an impartial Search into their Grounds and Arguments ; but after all , still follow that which you are convinced in your own Conscience is your Duty , how evil soever it may appear to others either one way or other . And that 's the first Particular : If those things appear evil to others that are our duty , or necessary , or that appear so to us , we ought not to regard the Censures and Opinions of others concerning it .

Secondly , If so be those things that are in themselves indifferent , and appear to us so to be , have yet an evil appearance unto others , if they be offended and scandalized at them , then the Rule of Christian Charity obligeth us to abstain from them . I call those Things indifferent , that are neither in themselves forbidden , nor yet commanded , but only permitted and left to the arbitrary government of every private Christian's Prudence and Discretion . As for instance , under the Levitical Law , some kinds of Meat were unlawful ; as in Lev. 11. And some kinds of Garments were unlawful to be worn ; as in Lev. 19.19 . But now , under the Gospel , since the abolishing of those Carnal Ordinances , as the Apostle calls them , Heb. 9.4 . both all sorts of Meat become lawful , whilst we use them within the Bounds of Temperance and Moderation ; and all sorts of Garments may be lawfully worn , while we use them within the Bounds of Modesty and Decency : These Things are left free for us to use them , or not to use them , without Sin , according to our own conveniency and discretion . These Things I call indifferent Things . And yet such is the strictness of Christian Religion , that these indifferent , lawful Things are not to be used at random neither . It is a certain Truth , though it may seem a Paradox , that we never sin in any thing more than in doing that which is in it self lawful ; in these things we usually offend , either by using them immoderately , or with a neglect , yea , with a contempt of those Consciences that are weak . The Use of our Christian Liberty is not uncontroulable ; but God hath subjected it to the Consciences of others ; so that it is utterly unlawful for us to do that which is in it self lawful , if it give offence unto others . How this ought to be limited I shall shew you by and by ; in the mean time , see it clearly proved out of 1 Cor. 10. from v. 25. to the end . Where the Apostle decides this Question , Whether it were lawful to eat Meat that was offered to Idols . For the understanding of this , you must know , it was a custom among the Heathens to offer Cattel in Sacrifice to their Idol-Gods ; part whereof they did eat in their Religious Feasts in the Temple , selling the Remainder in the common Market . Now , the Question was not , Whether it was unlawful to join with the Heathens in eating of their Sacrifices in the Temple before their Idols ; for this were to join with them in their Idolatrous Worship ? But there were some more scrupulous Christians among them , that judged it unlawful to eat of those Sacrifices when sold in the Shambles , or common Market ; the Apostle now there determines this Matter to be altogether indifferent , in ver. 25. Whatsoever is sold in the Shambles , whether offered to Idols , or not , that eat ; but yet , if any weak Christian even so scruple to eat that which is offered to Idols after it is sold in the Shambles , and if he be offended at others for eating of it , the Apostle then gives this Rule , That the strong ought not to eat for the sake of the weak , though the thing be indifferent , and might be done ; yet the strong ought not to eat for the sake of the weak , in v. 28. If any say , This was offered in Sacrifice to Idols , though sold in the Shambles , yet eat not for his sake that shewed you it . Now , what the Apostle here speaks of Meat offered in Sacrifice to Idols , holds true proportionably in Apparel , in Recreations , and the like indifferent lawful Things ; all which become Sin to you , if they become Offences and Scandals unto others . Now , the Reason of this , is evident ; because when Men rashly do what they think is lawful , without regarding the Scruples of others , hereby they do as the Apostle speaks , in Rom. 14.13 . put a stumbling-Block , and an ocasion of falling in their Brothers way , that is , they bring him into the Commission of a Sin , and this is against the Law of Charity . For says the Apostle , in v. 14. If thy Brother be grieved at thy Meat , thou walkest not charitably . Now , in doing that which appears evil to others , though it be lawful in it self , yet it may be an occasion of Sin to them two Ways .

First , It may alienate their Hearts from the Ways of God . When notwithstanding all the Profession thou makest of Holiness , and of Strictness of Life ●nd Conversation ; yet they see that which they account loose and sinful , is generally practised and maintained , whether it be sinful or not ; yet seeing you generally practise that which is accounted evil , this alienates their hearts from the Ways of God , and from the Profession of Religion .

Secondly , It brings Sin also ; because it may encourage them to do the same things that you do also . Now that may be Sin to them that is to you lawful ; because , as I told you , whatever is done contrary to the Dictates and perswasions of a Man 's own Conscience , that is Sin to him : But now many weak Christians may be induced to act contrary to Conscience , only acting according to the examples of stronger Christians , that are better informed , & that have more Light to direct them , and so by their unlimited doing what they think is lawful , they bring a great deal of guilt upon the Consciences of others that are weak , and that scruple the things they see others do ; and yet because they see others do them , will themselves venture to do them also , though they scruple it . It is not enough therefore that you your selves are satisfied in your own Consciences that what you do is lawful ; but you must weigh and consider how it will suit with the Consciences of other men also , else what you think is lawful , may be a Sin both unto you and unto them ; to them , because they are brought to sin by your example ; and to you , because you brought them to sin by doing that which was to you lawful .

But here some may say , This is to bring us under a most intolerable yoke of Servitude , if we must be bound to observe every ignorant humorous Man's Conscience , that will scruple every thing ; it is in vain to tell us that some things are lawful and allowed to us , if yet we must do nothing to give offence in that which appears evil to others ; for what one thing is there in the World that doth not appear evil to some or other ? This is to bring us into an intolerable Bondage and Slavery .

To this I answer ; There are several Cases , wherein , though there be an Appearance of Evil unto others in some things , yet we may lawfully do them ; as ,

First , We are not obliged to abstain from things indifferent that may have in them an Appearance of Evil to others , unless we have some grounds to conjecture , that they take offence , and are scandalized at them . We are not bound to ask every one that we meet with , whether they scruple such and such a thing that we must do ; this were endless and ridiculous . We are not obliged to abstain , if there be only a remote possibility of Scandal , unless there be also some great probability of it ; nor are we bound to divine whether or no it be not possible that such an Action of ours may be offensive to some or other ; but if there be no present probability to conjecture that such a thing may be offensive , we may then lawfully do whatever is lawful unto us . And therefore ,

First , If by comparing the Circumstances of an Action together , we cannot probably guess any should be offended at it , it is their weakness , and not our Sin , if they be offended at it . Indeed , whenever we converse with others , it becomes our Christian Prudence and Charity to weigh such Circumstances exactly , to consider the Action that we do , though lawful yet whether or no it be common or unusual ; to consider the Persons with whom we are , whether weak o● strong , whether scrupulous or resolved Christians ; for that which may be lawful in some of these Circumstances , may be unlawful in others of them : An Action may be lawful if it be common though it be done before a weak and scrupulous Christian , and it may be lawful though uncommon , if it be done before a strong and a resolved Christian ; but if it be unusual , and if it be done before a scrupulous and a weak Christian it may seem to have in it a great probability of giving of Offence and being a Scandal to them ; and therefore we must forbear such uncommon , unusual actions before weak Christians , in which there may be any probable guess that they will take offence , and be scandalized at them ; but if upon examining these and the like Circumstances , we can find no such probability of giving of Offence , we may then make use of our Christian Liberty in them .

Secondly , If after we have weighed these Circumstances , and can find no probability of Scandal in them , if others with whom we are , or who are liable to take exception , if they do not discover their Exceptions , we are not bound to abstain from any thing that is indifferently lawful . We have a hint of this from the Apostle , 1 Cor. 10.28 . If any one say to you , this was offered to Idols , eat not ; if he say to you . But if they take offence , and will not make it known , the offence , as it rests in their own bosom , so shall it lie on their own heads , and we shall it be guiltless ; and that 's the first Limitation . We are not bound to abstain from things lawful in themselves , though they carry in them an appearance of Evil towards others , if there be no probable grounds to conjecture that they will be offended at them .

Secondly , We must consider whether or not the Action that we do , which another takes offence at , be as indifferent to us , as it is indifferent in , respect of God , that is , whether it be of great conveniency , or of great importance and concernment to us , if it be not of such convenience and importance , then the Rule of Charity obligeth us to abstain from it . There are those things that are indifferent in respect of God , that yet may not be indifferent in respect of us ; because they may be of great concernment unto us ; if it be so , then we ought to observe this Method , as long as we may without any notable inconveniency : We must abstain from these things , indeavouring in the mean time , to satisfie their Doubts , and inform their Consciences of the Lawfulness of that wherewith they are offended . This Rule the Apostle lays down for us , Rom. 15.2 . Let every one seek to please his Neighbour for his good to edification . We ought to abstain from those things that are indifferent in respect of God , and yet of importance unto us from the exceptions of others , so long as we have no notable inconveniency accruing to our selves thereby , endeavouring also to inform them of the lawfulness of them .

But what if they continue scrupulous , and contemn Information , resolving not to be satisfied with any Reasons that we can produce , what must we do in this Case ?

Truly it ceaseth now from being any longer an offence to a weak Brother , and becomes a groundless offence taken up by a peevish , froward and malicious person ; and certainly in this case no man is bound to abstain from that which is lawful , though he may give offence to such an one ; especially , if it be of moment and concernment to him : As for instance ; if any be unsatisfied of the lawfulness of another Man 's Calling and Profession , as at this day the Socinians are unsatisfied of the lawfulness of Warlike and Military Employments ; if they will not be satisfied when sufficient Reasons are alledged to justifie it , we are not bound in this case to quit our Callings ; for they are Matters of Concernment to us ; but we are bound rather to neglect their Censures , as proceeding from Malice and Spite .

But what if others still continue unsatisfied , not out of Pride and Malice , but out of Weakness , as being insufficient to receive that information from us that we give them , and cannot conceive of the depth of our Reasons and Arguments for the justifying of such and such Actions , what shall we do in that Case ?

To this I Answer in the Third place ; We are not bound to abstain from what they are offended at , unless they produce some probable Grounds and Reasons for their Offences . It is not enough to oblige our Consciences , that they tell us they imagine such a thing to be evil , unless they shew some Grounds for their Imagination ; nor is it here required , that the Grounds they produce should be demonstrative ; but it is enough if they be probable Grounds , though they amount not to prove the things that appear evil to them , to be in themselves evil ; yet if they prove these things carry in them a probable presumption of evil , this is sufficient to oblige us to abstain from them . Hereupon it was that the Apostle forbid the Corinthians to eat Meat offered unto Idols ; if any took offence at that Meat , others were not to eat thereof in their presence and company , and that because their offence had some probable shew of Reason to judge that they thought they had too much communion with Idols , because they did eat of those things that were sacrificed to them : And upon this ground the Apostle himself resolves , in 1 Cor. 8. ult. That if Meat made his Brother to offend , he would eat no Flesh while the World stood ; that is ( as I take it ) no Flesh offered to Idols ; for that is the Subject of which he had been treating all along that Chapter . Though it was lawful in it self considered , yet because the weak had probable Grounds and Reasons to shew why Flesh offered to Idols , might not be eaten , therefore he would abstain from it whilst the World stood . And so in like manner , if any except against what we do , and bring this Reason for it , That it is too like the Custom of wicked Men , that none do thus and thus but the generality of the ●ooser and prophaner sort ; this is such a Ground , that though the Thing is it self be not sinful , yet we ought hereupon to abstain from it , being a probable ground of Evil , though the Thing in it self be not evil . But now , if there be no such probable Reasons produced as carry in them a Shew and Appearance , that probably that is evil which we do , then we are not bound to abstain merely because such a Man saith or thinks such an Action is evil : As for instance ; if any think , as of late many have taken exception against Preaching in a Pulpit , and by an Hour-Glass , as things unlawful , truly unless they produce some Grounds to prove these Things to be unlawful , their Cavils are not to be hearkned to , nor regarded ; and so in any other Things that are Indifferent to be used .

In the last Place , take this Limitation also ; We are not bound to abstain from those things that appear evil to others , though they are in themselves lawful , unless in those places , and at those times where there is no danger of giving offence ; at other times , and in other places we may lawfully do what is lawful . When there are any present that are weak and scrupulous , and apt to be scandalized at us , then we must have respect unto their weak Consciences ; but at other times we are left to the free and full use of our Christian Liberty .

THE NATURE , DANGER , AGGRAVATIONS , and CURE of Presumptuous Sinning : WITH THE Difference between Restraining and Sanctifying Grace , in effecting thereof . ON PSAL. XIX . ver. 13. Keep back thy Servant also from Presumptuous Sins ; let them not have dominion over me .

By EZEKIEL HOPKINS , late Lord Bishop of London-Derry .

LONDON , Printed by E. H. for NATHANAEL RANEW , at the King's Arms in St. Paul's Church-Yard , 1693.

The Nature , Danger , Aggravations , and Cure of Presumptuous Sinning , &c. ON PSAL. XIX . v. 13.

Keep back thy Servant also from Presumptuous Sins ; let them not have dominion over me .

HAving in my former Subject treated of Abstinence from those Things that have in them the Appearance of Evil , I shall now from the Words read to you , speak something also of those things that are apparently evil ; that , as you have already in part seen what Christian Prudence and Circumspection is required that your Conversations be not offensive ; so here you may also see what Fervency of Prayer , what Measure of Grace is requisite that they be not grosly wicked .

In the Verse immediately before the Text , the Psalmist prays that God would cleanse him from his secret Faults ; that is , from Sins of Ignorance , whereof he knew himself to be guilty in the general , though in particular he knew not what they were ; now in this Verse , he prays , that God would keep him from Sins of Presumption . The Connexion of these two Requests is somewhat remarkable , and may afford us this pertinent and profitable Observation .

That Sin is of a growing and advancing Nature .

From Weakness to Wilfulness ; from Ignorance to Presumption , is its ordinary course and progress . The Cloud that Elijah's Man saw , was at first no bigger than a hand 's breadth , and it threatned no such thing as a general Tempest ; but yet at last it overspread the face of the whole Heavens : Why , so truly a Sin that at first ariseth in the Soul , but as a small Mist , and is scarce discernable ; yet if it be not scattered by the breath of Prayer , it will at length overspread the whole Life , and become most tempestuous and raging ; and therefore David , as one experienced in the deceitfulness of Sin , doth thus digest and methodize his Prayer ; First , against secret and lesser Sins ; and then against the more gross and notorious ; as knowing the one proceeds and issues from the other : Lord , cleanse me from my secret faults ; and this will be a most effectual means to preserve and keep thy Servant from Presumptuous Sins : and this Observation may be gathered from the connexion of the two Requests : But I shall not insist on that .

The Words are a most sincere and affectionate Prayer ; and in them are observable ,

First , The Person that makes it ; and that is not a vile , notorious Sinner , one that used to be overcome by presumptuous Sins ; but David , a Man after God's own heart , eminent for Holiness and Piety ; Keep back thy Servant , says he , from presumptuous Sins .

Secondly , The Request and Petition it self ; and that is , that God would keep him , not from Sins of common Frailty , and daily Infirmity , such as no Man's Holiness can exempt him from ; but from Sins of Presumption ; from daring and ranting Sins , such as one would think , that no Man that hath the least Holiness in him , could ever commit , Keep back thy Servant from presumptuous Sins . In this Petition two Things are evidently implied .

First , That strong propension that there is in the best to the worst Sins . Were it not so , what need David pray for restraining-Grace ? Keep back thy Servant . Lord , my Corruptions hurry me with all violence into the greatest Sins ; they perswade , they force , they drag , they draw , they thrust forward , and now , now I am going and yielding ; but , Lord , with-hold me , put a curb and check upon these violent and head strong Corruptions of mine ; keep back , keep me back from presumptuous Sins .

Secondly , It implies that utter impotency that the best lie under to preserve themselves from the foulest sins , without the special aid and assistance of divine Grace . My Heart it is not in my own hands ; my Ways are not at my own dispose ; I cannot stand longer than thou upholdest me ; I cannot walk longer than thou leadest me ; if thou withdrawest thine everlasting Arms from under me , I shall stumble , and fall , and tumble headlong into fearful Precipices , into vile Impieties , into Hell and Perdition it self ; and therefore , Lord , do thou keep me ; do thou by thy Omnipotency supply my Impotency ; by thy Power keep me from what mine own Weakness will certainly betray me unto ; Keep back thy Servant from presumptuous Sins . These two Things are implied and couched in the Petition it self .

Thirdly , In the Text we have the Reason also why David prays so earnestly against presumptuous Sins : Which Reason carries in it the Form of a distinct Petition by it self ; Keep back thy Servant from presumptuous Sins ; let them not have dominion over me ; but yet it may be well understood as a Reason of the foregoing Request ; therefore , Lord , keep me from presumptuous Sins ; lest by falling into the commission of them , I fall also under the power of them ; lest by prevailing upon me , they get dominion and sovereignty over me . And in this Reason also we have a hint of the incroaching nature of Sin still , from the allowance of little and secret Sins , it proceeds to the commission of gross and presumptuous Sins ; and from the commission of these , it proceeds to dominion over him ; and therefore if we would not be Slaves to our Lusts , and Vassals to the Devil , we had need all of us to pray with David , Lord , keep us from secret Sins , lest they break out into open and presumptuous Sins ; and , Lord , keep us from presumptuous Sins , lest they get dominion over us .

Now , from the Words thus divided and opened , several useful Observations may be raised .

As , First , From the Petition it self , we may observe these Two Doctrinal Points .

First , That in the very best Christians there is great proneness and inclination to the very worst Sins . David himself prays for restraining Grace to keep him from presumptuous Sins .

Secondly , Observe , It is not our own Power , but only Divine Grace that can preserve us from the most horrid and vilest Sins . Those Sins that we now abhor the very thoughts of , yet were we but left to our selves , and were but Divine Grace abstracted from us , even those Sins we should commit with all greediness .

And then from the Person who makes this Prayer and Request unto God , observe ,

Thirdly , That , Because the strongest Christians are too weak of themselves to resist the greatest Sins , therefore they ought continually to implore the aid and assistance of Divine Grace . David , though a strong and mighty Saint , yet durst not trust himself alone to grapple with a Corruption or a Temptation ; and therefore in the sense of his own Weakness , he prays the Lord to keep him ; Keep thou thy Servant .

And then , Lastly , from the Reason , Keep me from presumptuous Sins , lest they get dominion over me ; or , let them not get dominion over me : Observe ,

That , The frequent Commission of presumptuous and daring Sins , will subject the Soul to the reigning Power and Dominion of Sin .

But I shall not handle each of these by themselves ; but give you the Sum and Substance of them all in one , and so prosecute that : which is this .

That , The best Security the best of God's Children have from the Commission and from the Dominion of presumptuous Sins , is only their own servent Prayers , and God's Almighty Grace .

In the Prosecution of this Doctrine , I shall endeavour to shew you , when it is that a Man is guilty of presumptuous Sins , and wherein the Nature of such Sins consists .

First , Then a Sin is presumptuous , when it is committed against the powerful Dictates of a Man 's own Conscience , and against the clear Convictions of the Holy Ghost . When Conscience is awakened in Conviction , and rings aloud in Men's Ears , the ways thou livest in are grosly sinful , the end of them is Hell and Death ; thou wadest through the dearest Blood of thine own Soul if thou goest on ; seest thou not how Guilt dismally stares thee in the Face ? Seest thou not how the Mouth of Hell belches out Fire , and Flames , and Brimstone against thee ? stop therefore , I here , as God's Officer , arrest thee . If now , when Conscience thus calls , and cries , and threatens , Men will yet venture on , this is most bold and daring Presumption : To disobey the Arrest but of the King's Officer , is a most presumptuous Crime ; how much more therefore to disobey the Arrest of Conscience , which is the chief and supreme Officer of God , and who commands in the name , yea , in the stead of God , as it were , in the Soul ; and yet truly , who among us is not in some kind or other guilty of this Presumption ? Why , Sirs , if God should now come down in terrible Majesty in the midst of us , and if he should ask every man's Conscience here , one by one , Conscience , wert thou ever resisted ? wert thou ever opposed in executing thine Office to this and to that Soul ? Why , where sits the Person whose Conscience must not answer , Yes , Lord , I accuse him , I testifie to his very face , I have often warned and admonished him , O do not venture upon this or that Action ; there 's Sin , there 's Guilt lies under it ; there 's Wrath and Vengeance that will follow it ; Oh pity , oh spare thine own Soul ; this Sin will everlastingly ruine thee if thou committest it : And what didst thou commit it notwithstanding all this ? Yes , Lord , while I was laying before him all the arguments that the thoughts of Heaven and Hell , of thy Glory and his own Happiness , could administer , yet so presumptuous was he , as to fall upon me thine Officer ; and these Stabs , these Gashes and Wounds I received while I was admonishing him , and warning him in thy Name . O Sirs , a thousand times better were it for us that we never had Consciences , better that our Consciences were utterly seared , and become insensible ; better that they were struck for ever dumb , and should never open their Mouths more to reprove or to rebuke us ; better that we never had had the least glimmering of Light to distinguish betwixt our Duty , and what is Sin , than thus desperately to out-face and stifle our convictions , and to offer violence to our Consciences , and presumptuously to rush into the commission of Sin in despight of all these ; better men had no Consciences at all , or that they were given up to a seared and a reprobate Sense ; than to sin thus in despight of their Consciences . What says our Saviour , Luke 12.47 . That Servant that knew his Lord's Will , and did it not , he shall be beaten with many stripes .

There are two Things wherein it appears that all Sins against Conscience , Two Aggravations of sinning against Conscience . and against Convictions , are presumptuous Sins .

First , 1. It is a Contempt of the Authority of God . Because in all such Sins there is a most horrid Contempt of the Authority & Sovereignty of the great God : And what higher Presumption can there be , than for vile Worms to set at nought the Authority of that God at whose Frown Heaven , and Hell , and Earth tremble . The Voice of Conscience rightly informed by the Scripture , it is the Voice of God himself ; it is God speaking in a man's Bowels , and whispering to a man's very Heart . As Moses was the Interpreter betwixt God and the Israelites , so Conscience is the Interpreter betwixt God and us . Why now , would it not have been , think you , a most desperate Presumption , and a most daring Affront against the Majesty and Sovereignty of God , if while he was with his own voice pronouncing the Ten Commandments with Thundering , and Lightening , and Earth-quake from Mount Sinai , at the same time the Israelites to have been notoriously breaking and sinning against every one of those Commandments , as he spake them . Truly , though now God delivers his Will and Commands to us , not immediately by his own mouth , as then he did , but by Conscience his Interpreter , yet while we know that Conscience speaks to us in the Name of God , it is as much fearful Presumption for us to slight the voice of Conscience , as if we should slight the voice of God himself speaking from heaven immediately to us . And that 's the first Thing .

Secondly , 2. Is is an evident argument that we stand in no awe of Hell and Damnation . By sinning against our Consciences , and against our Convictions , we make it very evident that we stand in no awe or dread of any such thing as Hell and eternal Damnation is , and is not that Boldness ? Is not that Presumption ? You scorn possibly to be such puling , whimpering Sinners as to be affrighted with such Bug-bears as everlasting Torments , and everlasting Wrath and Vengeance is ; you know the Wages of Sin is Death , and that the Ways you take , lead down to the Chambers of Destruction ; and yet though God and Devil stand in the way you will through : Are not these , think you , bold and presumptuous Sinners , that will go on in Sin , though Hell-Fire flashes in their Faces , who , though God should cleave the Ground upon which they walk , and through that Chink should give them a view of Hell ; though they should see the Damned tumbling up and down in those Torments , and hear their Yellings and Shriekings , and Roarings ; yea , though God should point them out a place in Hell , and tell them , Look , Sinner , yonder is a Place kept void , and heated from the beginning of the World for thee ; yet are there some such bold and daring Wretches , that they would out-brave all this , and they would sin in despight either of Heaven or Hell ; yea , and which is a most sad and dreadful consideration , some there are whose Consciences are already brim-full of extreme horrour and anguish , and yet they will venture upon those Sins that have caused that horrour , and are not such presumptuous Sinners , they give their Consciences wound upon wound , and though sometimes they roar bitterly , yet they will sin outragiously , even then when they roar and smart for Sin : So that this is a clear evidence of a presumptuous Sin , when a Sin is committed against a Man's own Conscience , against Knowledge , & against Conviction ; this makes a Sin to be a presumptuous Sin , when Conscience cries out Murder , Murder , Soul-Murder ; when it beseeches with Tears of Blood that they draw from it , to desist from their Sins , and yet is not heard nor regarded ; this is presumptuous sinning , sinning with a high hand , and with a brazen Forehead .

Secondly , To sin upon long deliberation , is to sin presumptuously . Then a Man sins presumptuously , when he sins upon long deliberation and forecast , plotting and contriving with himself how he may accomplish his Sin . Some Sins are committed merely through a sudden Surprize ; a Temptation comes upon the Soul unawares and finds it unprovided to make any resistance , and so it prevails ? So it was with the Apostle St. Peter , his Apostacy and Perjury was indeed very dreadful ; yet he was overcome by a sudden Surprize ; he had no foregoing Thoughts and Purposes to deny his Master ; yea , his Resolution was to own and confess him to the very Death ; and therefore though his Sins were foul Sins , yet they cannot be called presumptuous Sins , but rather Sins of weakness and infirmity . And so there are divers Christians that are overtaken with Faults against their Resolutions and Prayers , yea , and contrary to their own Expectations ; now the Sins of such persons are not presumptuous Sins ; but then a Sin becomes presumptuous , when it is committed after long deliberation , premeditation and Fore-cast . There is a twofold Deliberation that makes a Sin presumptuous .

First , When a Man sins after he hath deliberated with himself , whether he shall sin or not . When upon debating the Case at length after much pondering and consideration , he consents to Sin ; And thus though St. Peter denied his Master upon a Surprizal , yet Judas betray'd him upon deliberation . Now this is most desperate high Presumption to sin when a man ponders and considers with himself , and weighs the Reasons on both sides , whether he shall sin or not ; and yet truly of such presumptuous Sins as these are , we may all of us be found guilty . Why , ask but your selves , Did you never commit a Sin after you had weighed in your deliberate Thoughts all Circumstances , putting in the beneficial Consequences , the Pleasure , Profit and Credit of Sin in the one Balance , and the dangerous and destructive Consequences , that Wrath and Hell that is due to Sin , in the other Balance ? who of us all can acquit himself from being guilty of sinning after such Comparisons as these are have been made , after the due weighing both of Sin and our Duty ; and yet have we not chosen the Sin before our Duty ? Truly to sin after such deliberate Comparisons as these are , ●s a provoking and a presumptuous Sin .

Secondly , When Men do deliberate and contrive how they may sin to the greatest advantage , how they may make the most of their Iniquities ; when they plot and contrive with themselves how they may squeeze and draw out the very utmost of all that Pleasure and Sweet that they imagine Sin carries with it ; this makes that Sin a presumptuous Sin . Thus those Drunkards contrived to prolong their Sin , Isaiah 56. v. 12. Come , say they , we will fetch Wine , and fill our selves with strong Drink , and to morrow shall be as this day , and much more abundant . Here they forecasted to make as great advantage as they could of their Drunkenness , and to get as much pleasure out of it as they could . This now is most presumptuous Sinning . Thus the Prophet Jeremy also speaks of those that were wise to do evil , Jer. 4.22 . That could improve Sin to the very utmost , that could get more out of a Sin by their Husbanding of it , than another could that had not that Skill and Mystery ; these are wise to do evil ; and such are presumptuous Sins ; when men stretch and strain their Wits brim-full of sinf●● Devices , either so as they may reap mos● from them , or so as they may keep their Wickedness secret from the observation and notice of men , then they sin presumptuously . Do not therefore flatte● your selves , that though indeed you are Sinners , as who indeed is not ? yet , you sin only through weakness and infirmity : Why , ask your own Consciences Did you never sin , or , do you not use to sin upon premeditation and fore-cast ? When you have conceived Sin in your own hearts , do you not nurse it and nourish it there , till you find some fit opportunity to commit it , plotting to lay hold on some fit occasion to act some wicked imagination that you have hatched in your own Heart ? If so , this is clear , your sinning is not out of weakness , but from stubbornness and wilfulness .

The more calm and quiet the Affections are , the more presumptuous is that Sin . Thirdly , The more quiet & calm your Affections are when you sin , the more free you are from the hurryings & perturbations of Passions when you sin , the more presumptuous are your Sins . Indeed it is no sufficient excuse that you sin in a Passion , no more than it is for a Murtherer to say he was drunk when he did it ; but yet this takes off something from the presumption in sinning . Then a man is a ●old and arrogant Sinner , when he can sin calmly , and bid defiance to God and Heaven in cold Blood . Now St. Peter's Denial of Christ , it was from the excessive Passion of Fear that then surprized him , and scattered his Graces ; but when that Passion was over , he recruited again ; but now Judas had no Passion ; but the wickedness of his own heart wrought quietly and calmly in him to the betraying of his Master . When the winds rage violently , no wonder if sometimes the tallest Cedars are overthrown by them ; but those Trees that fall of their own accord , when the Air is still and calm , it is a certain sign they were rotten : So it is in this Case ; when the Tempest of Passion rageth , be it Fear , or any other Passion and Perturbation of the Mind , no wonder if sometimes the tallest and the strongest Christians fall , are cast down , and overwhelmed by it ; but if men fall into Sin when their intellectuals are clear , and when their Reason is calm and undisturbed , truly this is a certain sign these Men are rotten , and these presumptuous sins have gotten dominion over them , for they fall like rotten Trees of their own accord without any Tempest of Passion to sti● them .

We may know whether we sin presumptuously by our Temptations , and how . Fourthly , When at any time you commit a Sin , consider what the Temptations are that assault you , and how you behave your selves under those Temptations ; for from thence you may conjecture whether your Sins be presumptuous or not . Temptations as they are strong Inducements unto Sin , so sometimes they are great mitigations of Sin ; the more violently the Soul is bated and wearied with Temptations , the less presumption is it guilty of if at length it yields ; this God doth judge to be weakness not wilfulness , he knows our Frame that we are but Dust and Ashes , that we are no match for Principalities and Powers ; and those mighty Enemies that we are to combat with , we can no more stand before them than so much loose Dust before a fierce and rapid Whirlwind ; yea , were there no Devil ●o tempt , yet the Corruptions of our ●wn Hearts are much too hard for us ; ●ut when both our own Lusts and the Devil shall conspire together , the one ●o betray us with all its Deceitfulness , ●nd the other to force us with all its Power ; who then can stand if God at such a time as this is withdraw his Grace ●nd Spirit , as sometimes he doth from the best of his Servants , where is the Christian that ever coped with these Temptations , and was not vanquished and captivated by them ? It is true when God assists him the weakest Christian proves victorious over the strongest Temptations : A Dwarf may beat a Giant when he is manacled that he cannot stir or resist ; God sees that Satan ●is an over-match for us , and therefore he ties his hands before he sets us out to the Conflict , and what wonder is it if we then conquer , when God hath trodden Satan under us , no wonder if as weak as we are we can then trample upon him too ; but that all our Success may appear to be not from our own strength but from God's Might , he leaves us sometimes to Satan , and le ts loose Satan upon us in all his rage , he leads u● into Temptation , and he leaves u● under Temptation ; and when we are buffetted we then yield and fall , and th● Devil shamefully triumphs over us : l● this Case which is one of the sadde● that a Christian can be in , though th● Sin be very foul and heinous ; yet th● same Power of Temptation that make us sin heinously , keeps us from sinning presumptuously . Presumptuous Sins are not to be measured by the bulk and ugliness of the Action , but by the forward and headlong Consent of the Will unto it ; and therefore a gross Sin may sometimes be but a Sin of Infirmity , whe● yet a Sin of a less Nature is desperately daring and presumptuous . In the La● if a Person that was ravished struggle● and cried out aloud for help the Crim● was not imputed to her : So if the Sou● be forcibly ravished by Temptations though it struggle and strive against them , though it call upon its God , crying aloud , Help Lord , though it cal● up its Graces , Arise , help , this Si● shall not be imputed to it as a presumptuous Sin . How then shall we judge by our Temptations whether the Sin● ●e commit are presumptuous or not ?

I answer you may judge of it by these ●llowing Particulars .

First , If we sin when we are not besieged with violent Temptations , then we sin presumptuously . If we commit Sin when we are ●t besieged and disturbed by violent and ●vincible Temptations , this is too too cer●in a Sign that then we sin presumptu●sly . This plainly shews a Will strong● fixed and resolved to Sin : When Men ●ill surrender and yield up their Souls ● the Devil , even before he summons ●em , and when they will consent to 〈◊〉 upon every small and trivial temptation , as soon as they have but a hint and ●impse of some sinful Object passing be●re them , though it offer them no Vio●nce , though it present nothing to ●em of so much Pleasure , and Profit , ●d Credit in it , but that a generous Christian might easily disdain , if yet ●ey run out after it , and will sin mere● because they will , these are most de●erate sinners that are impatient to ●it the leisure of a lingring and lazy ●emptation , they know the Devil hath ●uch work to do in the World , many thousands to tempt , deceive , and draw to Perdition , and therefore they will no● trouble him , and for his ease they wi● sin without a Temptation , and rui● their own Souls without any help o● any other Devil than what their ow● Hearts prove to them . As those are th● best and most stayed Christians that a● constant in the performance of Holy Duties , even then when they have n● strong impulses and motions from th● Holy-Ghost unto Duty : So truly tho● are the worst and most stubborn Sinne● that even then commit sin with greed●ness , when they have no violent imp●ses and temptations from the Devil ● hurry them into sin . Now there a● Two things whereby it plainly appear● that then a sin is presumptuous when ● is committed without strong and viole● Temptations to it .

First , Hereby we do evidently decl● a fearful Contempt of the great Go● we never more vilifie and dispara● God , than when we do that for n●thing which we know his Soul hat● Should the Devil , when he Temp● you , take you as he took Christ , a● shew you the Kingdoms of the Wor● and the Glory of them all , and promise to bestow all these upon you ; why , yet when God shews you the infinite Glory of the Kingdom of another World , you can plead no Natural Reason why you should consent to Sin , God infinitely out-bidding the Devil , even then when the Devil bids highest ; but when you will preferr a Sin that bids nothing , a barren , fruitless , and unprofitable Lust , before the Holy Will of the great God , and the sure Promises of Eternal Glory , what Reason or Pretence can you shew why you should sin , unless it be , because you are resolved rather to despight and affront God , than to advantage your own Souls . And this was the great aggravation of Judas's Sin , and that which made it so exceeding presumptuous : What ● poor Temptation was Thirty Pieces of Silver , to enduce him to the Vilest Wickedness that ever was committed since the World stood ? It was no more ●han the ordinary Value and Rate of a Slave , as you may see in Exod. 31.32 . ●mounting much to about Thirty Se●en Shillings Six Pence ; and yet so far ●id he undervalue Christ , as that for ●his small Price he sells the Lord of Life and Glory , and this God himself takes notice of as a great Indignity done unto him , Zach. 11.13 . Zach. 11.13 . A goodly Price , says God by the Prophet there , was I prized at of them . I know that at the very hearing of this , your Hearts rise up in detestation of the Cursed Covetousness of Judas , that ever he should suffer himself to be Tempted by so base a Reward as a few Shillings were , to betray him to Death who was infinitely more worth than Heaven and Earth : Why , the Case is yours ; nay wonder not at it , he betrayed him for Thirty Pieces of Silver , and you Daily Crucifie him , and put him to open shame ; you wound and pierce him to the very Heart for much less than that is ; look back upon your past Life , can you not recall to Mind , that you have been prevailed upon to commit many a sin by such poor and inconsiderable things as scarce bear the shew , or face , or appearance of a Temptation ; have you not dealt very injuriously with God and Christ , and set them at nought for a little gain , for some vanishing delight , for compliance sake , for the fickle favour of Men ; yea very Feathers , and empty Nothings , have weighed down the Scales with you against God . The Devil's first and greatest sin was Pride , and Contempt of God , and how much is he pleased and humoured to see the same Contempt of God rivetted in the Hearts of Men , and to see him so much slighted in the World , that he can scarce bid low enough when he Tempts , but whatever he offers is greedily snatch'd at , and preferred before God and Heaven , though it be but a very Toy and Trifle . This certainly must needs be a very heinous Contempt of the great Majesty of Heaven , and must needs argue most desperate boldness , and presumptuous sinning .

Secondly , When Men sin upon small or no temptations , they declare plainly a wretched neglect of their precious Souls , and therefore they sin presumptuously . I have Read of a Soldier who being with Two others for some Crime Condemned , drew Lots for his Life , and having drawn one Lot that saved and pardon'd him , seeing one of his Companions come shivering and quaking to draw , told him , that for Two Shillings , or thereabouts , he would take his Lot , whatever it was . He drew again , and again it proved successful to him ; why , however it was a most daring presumption , that after so narrow an escape , he should again hazard his Life , and set it to Sail for so small a Price as that was : Why truly the like Presumption we our selves are guilty of , we purchase Toys and Trifles with the dreadful hazards of our Souls ; those Souls that are infinitely more worth than Ten Thousand Worlds : We make common Barter and Exchange for every base Lust ; and , as Prodigals , pay very dear for very Toys , only to satisfie their Fancies ; so do we lay down our precious Souls at Stake for those Lusts that usually have nothing in them besides the satisfaction of the Humours and Fancies of our own Wills in Sin . Would you not Censure that Man to be most desperately fool hardy , that should venture to dive into the bottom of the Sea , only to take up Pebbles and Gravel ? Why , how great deal of Folly and Presumption then are they guilty of , who dive even to the bottom of Hell , only to get Straws and Feathers , and such impertinent Vanities and inconsiderable Nothings , that certainly Men would never hazard their immortal Souls for , unless they thought they did themselves a Courtesie to be Damned ? How many are there that would not suffer no not so much as a Hair of their Head to betwitched off to gain that for which they will not stick to Lye and Swear , Sins that Murder their Souls ? They are so Foolish , that the Lord complains in Isa. 52.3 . They sell themselves for Nought ; either they stay not till the Devil comes to cheapen them , but Sin before-hand , or else they readily take any Price that he offers for them , any Vile Trifle is looked upon as a great Purchase , if they can procure it at so low a Price as Hell and Damnation is ; why , what is it that makes the Swearer open his Throat as wide as Hell against Heaven and God himself , but only that he fansies that a big , full-Mouth'd Oath makes his Speech more graceful and stately ? And what is it that makes the Company-keeper run into all Excess with Riot , and to drown himself in all Sensuality , but only that he may comply with his Debauched Companions , and not disgust them by any singularity and reservedness ? And can these things be called Temptations ? Are these things matters of such weight , as deserve to be put in the Balance against the Soul's Eternal Happiness and Glory ? Is it possible that Men that have Noble and Immortal Souls in them , should ever so far debase them , as to bring them into competition with , nay to make them to be the Price of such Vile Nothings as these are ? And yet tell these Men that they hereby rouze up God's Wrath against them that burns to the lowest Hell ; tell them that they destroy their precious Souls ; tell them that they get nothing by such sins as these are , unless they reckon Damnation for Gain : Why , yet let God frown , and Hell triumph , and their Souls perish , they will on , and will not raise the Rate of sinning , nor put the Devil to more charges , and so they are Damned for nothing . Is not this most desperate boldness and presumption ? And therefore do not lay the blame of your sins upon the violence of Temptation , or upon the restless importunities of the Devil ; when God shall at the last Day call , Sinner stand forth , what 's the reason you committed such and such Sins that had nothing in them to commend them , That left nothing after them but Shame without , and Terrours within ? will you then plead as now usually you do , that Temptations were too hard for you , and the Devil too strong for you to resist ? No , no it will then be made apparent , that the Devil was falsly charged with multitudes of Sins that he never knew of till they were committed : And therefore when Men sin upon slight Temptations , it is not from the power of Temptations , it is not from the importunity of the Devil that they sin , but only from a presumptuous resolution , that they will sin whatever it cost them , and that 's the first Trial.

Secondly , When Men run themselves knowingly into Temptations , and occasions of Sin , if they are overcome by them , they then sin presumptuously . When a Man wilfully and knowingly runs himself into Temptations , and upon occasions of Sin , if he be overcome by these Temptations , he sins presumptuously notwithstanding . In this Case , though the Temptation be violent and irresistible , yea , though when we are intangled by it , we strive and struggle to our very utmost , yet this doth not mitigate but rather aggravate our Sin , because it was merely thorough our own presumption that we brought our selves under the power of such a prevalent Temptation , from which Christian Fear and Caution might easily have preserved us . If a Man that is wholly Ignorant of the Art of Swimming , shall plunge himself into a deep River , tho' he struggle hard for Life afterwards , yet if he sinks and is drowned , he perishes only through his own presumption . That Man deserves to be blown up that will make Gun-Powder in a Smith's Shop when the Sparks fly thick about him : Truly , occasions of sinning are the Devil's Forge , where he is continually heating and hammering out his Fiery Darts . Why , now for you that know your selves to be as catching as Powder , or Tinder , wilfully to run your selves into this Forge where his Fiery Darts glow , and sparkle , and fly about you , what is this but most desperate boldness and presumption ? What says the Wise Man , Proverbs 26.27 . Can a Man take Fire into his Bosom , and his Cloths not be burnt ? Can a Man run himself upon such occasions of sin , and not run also into the commission of sin ? As the Motion of a Stone , when it falls downward , is still the swifter the nearer it comes to its Center ; so when you are running your selves into the occasions of sin , the more willingly you go to sin , the nearer you come to it , there 's no stop nor stay : When you put your selves upon these Occasions and Temptations , you put your selves out of the protection of God's Grace , and you stand wholly at the Devil's Courtesie ; and if you are overcome , blame nothing but your own venturousness and presumption . Consider this therefore , hast thou not had frequent experience of many sad Foils that the Devil hath given thee by thy rash venturing upon Occasions and Temptations to sin ? hast thou not found such and such Company , such and such Employments , and other like Circumstances , always prove Snares to thee ? never plead these Temptations were too strong for thee to resist ? What , canst thou not resist them ? Why , couldst thou not have avoided them ? And believe it , If the experience of thine own Weakness doth not make thee careful for the future to shun such Snares and Intanglements as these are , thy sins will be judged by God at the last Day to be wilful and presumptuous Sins ; for they are so , if not in themselves considered , yet at least in their Cause ; for you presumptuously run into those Occasions and Temptations , whereby , in all likelihood , you will be overcome ; and this is to sin presumptuously .

If when we are tempted , we yield , without vigorous resistance , we then sin presumptuously . Thirdly , Suppose that we are strongly tempted without the betraying of our selves to the Temptation : Why then consider , If you commit the Sin to which you are tempted , without vigorous and resolute resistance ; if you do , this is a certain sign you sin presumptuously . Let the Temptation be never so strong and irresistible , yet if you yield to it without opposition and resistance made against it to your utmost , you then sin presumptuously . A Child of God , when he acts like himself , falls fighting ; the Devil gets not a foot of ground upon him , but by main force and strength ; though Principalities and Powers , though the Rulers of the Darkness of this World , and spiritual Wickednesses in high Places , set themselves all in array against him ; why , yet he encounters them all , and wrestles with them all ; and though sometimes , through weakness he is overcome , yet he never basely yields ; he fights standing , and he fights falling , and he fights rising ; and therefore when he sins , it is through Weakness , and not through Presumption ; but now others , though they are very bold , and presumptuous against God , yet they are very Cowards against their Lusts , and against the Temptations of the Devil ; when a Temptation assaults them , they dare not presume to oppose that ; but they dare presume to offend and provoke God himself ; that they dare do : Believe it , Sirs , you must be bold and resolute , either against the Devil , or against the great God ; one of these you must grapple with ; chuse which you think you may best oppose , and soonest conquer ; the Devil stands before you armed with his fiery darts ; God follows you , armed with everlasting vengeance . If you will not engage against Satan , and resolutely oppose him and all his force , what do you else but turn upon God , and challenge him to the Combat , and make him your Enemy , that is able to destroy both Soul and Body in Hell-fire for ever ? Why , what a most daring presumption is this , that ever we should basely surrender up our selves to the Devil without striking one stroke in our own defence , and yet at the same time , we should dare to provoke that God that can with one look and frown sink us into the lowest Hell ? And thus , in these Three Particulars we see when a Sin is presumptuous in respect of Temptations , when it is committed without Temptations , when we run into Temptations and Occasions of Sin , and when we make no vigorous opposition against them .

To sin under eminent judgments and afflictions , is to sin presumptuously . In the Fifth Place , another Trial is this ; When Men will dare to sin under eminent and remarkable Judgments and Afflictions that God brings upon them , then they sin presumptuously . What is this else , but when God stands visibly in your way , yet you will desperately run upon the thick Bosses of his Buckler ? he hedges up your way with thorns , and yet you will break through , though it be to the tearing of your Flesh ; he strikes at you by his Judgments , and oh the Madness and Presumption of vile Dust and Ashes , that they dare to strike at God again by their Sins ! what is this else but even to dare God to do his worst ? When God treads upon us , should such vile Worms as we are , turn the Tail , and threaten to take revenge upon the Almighty ? This is Presumption and Boldness , that God takes special notice of . In 2 Chron. 28 , and 22. Ahaz was brought very low , says the Text ; and yet , in the time of his distress he trespassed yet more against the Lord ; This is that Ahaz : God sets a Mark and Brand upon him , that he may be known to all posterity for a most daring Sinner , that when God had brought him so low , when so many Enemies waged War against him , and distressed him ; yet even then he provoked a greater Enemy than them all , and challengeth God against him . This is that King Ahaz . Truly may it not be said of many among us , This , and this is that person , who , when God afflicted them , instead of humbling themselves under the mighty hand of God , grew enraged at their Sufferings , and sinned yet more and more against him . Oh , it is dreadful , when those punishments that should break and melt us , prove only to harden our hearts , and to exasperate and embitter our Spirits against God . What can reform us when we offend under the very smart of the Rod ? Hereby therefore judge of your Sins , if so be God be gone out against you , if he hath laid his hand heavy upon you , and yet you regard it not , but still persevere in your old Sins , and still add new iniquities to them ; if , instead of humility and brokenness of heart , your hearts rise up against God , and you are ready to say with that wicked King , This Evil is of the Lord , why should I wait upon the Lord any longer ? conclude upon it , you are those desperate presumptuous Sinners that scorn to shrink for whatever God can lay upon them .

To encourage our selves with hopes of Mercy , while we live impenitently in Sin , is to sin presumptuously . Sixthly , and lastly , When we can encourage our selves with hopes of Mercy , though we live in Sin impenitently ; this is to sin presumptuously . You that know your selves to be Sinners , what is it that makes you to bear up with so much peace and confidence ? why , do you not every moment fear lest Hell should open its mouth , and swallow you up , lest God should suddenly strike you dead by some remarkable Judgment , lest the Devil should fetch you away alive to Torments ? Why do you not fear this , since you know your selves to be Sinners ? Why , truly you still hope for Mercy ; and it is only from this very presumption that men cry Peace , Peace to themselves , when yet God is at enmity with them ; they flatter themselves that it shall be well with them in the latter end , though God swears he will not spare them ; but his Wrath and Jealousie shall smoke against them . In Deut. 29.19 , 20. says God there , If any Man shall encourage himself when he goes on presumptuously in the way of his own heart , adding Drunkenness unto Thirst , I will not spare him , says God ; but my Wrath and my Jealousie shall smoke against him , and all the Curses that are written in this Book , shall fall upon him . Were but Sinners truly apprehensive of their wretched Estate , how they stand liable every moment to the stroke of Divine Justice , how that there is nothing that interposeth betwixt them and Hell , but only God's temporary forbearance of them , truly it were impossible , utterly impossible to keep them from running up and down the Streets like distracted Persons and Mad-Men , crying out with horrour of Soul , O I am damned , I am damned ; but their Presumption stupifies them , and they are lull'd asleep by the Devil ; and though they live in Sin , yet they still dream of Salvation ; and thus their Presumption flatters them , till at length this Presumption ends then where their Damnation begins , and never before .

And thus I have in six Particulars shewed you what it is that makes a Sin to be presumptuous ; which is that which David in the Text prays to God to keep him from ; and I doubt not but these Particulars have represented to you so much Guilt and Ugliness in presumptuous Sins , as that you also pray with him , Lord , keep us also from presumptuous Sins .

Aggravations of presumptuous sinning . Now , though possibly it may seem altogether needless to die scarlet redder , yet that your Prayers against them may be more importunate , and your endeavours unwearied , I shall in the next place by some aggravating considerations ingrain these scarlet crimson sins , and strive to make them appear as they are in themselves out of measure sinful .

Consider therefore in the first place , Presumptuous Sins harden the heart with resolutions to persevere in them without Repentance . that the commission of presumptuous Sins doth exceedingly harden and steel the heart , with resolutions to persevere in them without repentance , and what can be more dreadful than this is ; resolvedness to sin is a disposition likest to that of the Devil , and it is a punishment next to that of Hell ; a Man that is confirmed in wickedness , is not many removes off from a Devil in his nature , and from a damned Person in his State ; there is a fatal consequence betwixt Man's resolving to continue in sin to the end , and God's resolving to punish him with those torments that shall have no end . God hath two Seals , the one of the Spirit of Adoption , whereby he seals up Believers to the day of Redemption , and the other of Obduration , whereby he seals up the Impenitent to the Day of Destruction , he seals them up under sin , and sets them aside for Wrath ; hence the Apostle in Romans 2.5 . speaks of a hard and impenitent heart , treasuring up wrath unto it self against the day of wrath : Now presumptuous Sins have a two fold malign influence , thus to harden and make Men resolute in wickedness ; for either they make them secure under sin , or else quite contrary desperate for sin , and both these strongly conduce to the hard'ning of the heart .

Presumptuous Sins make Men resolute under the threatnings of God . First , The commission of presumptuous Sins oftentimes makes a Sinner resolute and secure under the blackest guilt the Soul can contract , and the fearfullest threatnings God can denounce : Security under guilt arises from impunity ; Sinners have read and heard terrible things against themselves , that God will wound the hairy scalp of such as go on still in their iniquities , that he will destroy the incorrigible suddenly , and that without remedy ; but yet none of all this is executed , their Heads , instead of being wounded , are crowned with Blessings ; and this speedy destruction still loyters ; they neither feel terrors within , nor meet with troubles without ; and therefore as Solomon observes , because they go unpunished they grow secure , in Ecclesiast. Eccles. 8.15 . vers . 8.15 . Because sentence against an evil work is not speedily executed , therefore the hearts of the Sons of Men are fully set in them to do evil . Carnal reason measures God's way of taking vengeance by its own ; it is the custom of Men if they can to revenge while an injury is warm ; delay and forbearance usually cools them into forgiveness ; and hence presumptuous Sinners argue , That certainly were there any truth in God's threatnings , were there any thing to be feared besides the huge noise that they make , they should then have been exemplarily plagued , when they committed such and such a daring sin while the provocation was fresh ; and from this it is , that the worst of Sinners , after the commission of some vile and crying sins , are for a while troubled with a trembling and tormenting Conscience , that the threatnings that are denounced should fall upon them by some visible appearance , and some signal hand of God against them ; but when they see no such thing come of it , but their condition is prosperous , and all their ways Sun-shine ; how doth this work with them ? why truly , instead of admiring God's patience and long suffering , they despise his wrath , and scoff at those threatnings that before they dreaded , and think none of them true , because none of them felt . We read of such bold Sinners , as these are in 2. S. Peter the 3. and 4. Where is the promise of his coming , do not all things continue as they were . So these presumptuous Sinners say in their hearts , where is the threatning of his coming against us ; do not all things continue with us as they were ; though Preachers roar out whole Pulpits full of Hell and Damnation , and singe our Ears continually with Fire and Brimstone , making fearful clamours of Death , Hell , and Damnation , and everlasting Torments ; yet all things are with us as they were : Is not the Sun 's light as chearing , the Aires breath as refreshing , and the Earths Womb as fruitful as it was ? their greatest sins have not disturbed the least Atome in the Creation , nor moved so much as a hair of their head ; for all that sudden and unavoidable destruction that is denounced against them , they still flourish and prosper ; and because God doth not as Man revenge in the first heat , they think all threatnings are made rather to affright than to do execution ; and hence it is , that they embolden and harden themselves in sin , and take up resolutions , that they will continue in them ; and that is the first way how the commission of presumptuous Sins bring Men to resolutions of sinning , by making them regardless of Divine threatnings .

Secondly , Presumptuous Sins make Men desperate in Sin , and to despair . The frequent commission of presumptuous sins leave men desperate , whereby they are harden'd to continue in their sins . Nothing more fortifies reso●ution than despair ; make a coward desperate , and you make him invincible ; ●ow presumptuous sins they usually end ●n desperate resolutions ; they make Men despair of ever gaining power over them , and of ever obtaining pardon for them .

First , Of subduing of them . Men that frequently commit presumptuous sins they despair of ever subduing them : Let your own hearts make ●nswer , when you have sinned presumptuously against your own Consciences and God's known Law , have you not been ready to conclude , that it were as good for you to abandon your selves over to the swing of such a lust as still to strive thus in vain against it ? when resolutions against sin prove unsuccessful , they commonly end in desperate resolutions to sin ; and yet truly this is no other , than as if a Man should therefore burn his House down about him , because it wants repairing . Is there none among us now , that when we have sinned against light , and against convictions sit down under this despairing temptation , That it is in vain for us ever to make head against such a lust more , it will prevail , and why should we not therefore give up our selves to it ? truly , what you have been tempted unto , others have practised , and because the stream of their corruptions is violent , they therefore spread out their arms to it , and suffer themselves to be carried down by it into the gulph of Perdition , resolving to run after the stream and current of their own corruptions , because they find it so strong , despairing of ever subduing them , having been so often overcome by them .

To despair of obtaining pardon for them . Secondly , The frequent commission of presumptuous sins , makes Men despair of ever obtaining pardon for them , and that hardens them in resolutions to continue in them , and then they cry out with Cain , My iniquity is greater than can be forgiven . Despair of pardon oftentimes exasperates to more and greater offences ; as if a Thief when he is robbing of a Man , should argue with himself , if I am detected of this robbery it will cost me my life , and if I murther him I can but lose my life ; just so do many argue : My sins are already so many and so great , that I cannot avoid damnation for them ; I see my Name pricked down among Reprobates , it is but in vain for me to struggle against my own fate and God's decrees ; it is too nice a scruple since God hath given me up to the Devil , for me not to give up my self to sin , and so away they go to sin , and sin at random desperately and resolvedly ; oh horrid hardness ! that when the thoughts of Hell use to quench and allay the wickedness of other Men when it is most furious ; yet these wretches never think of Hell , but that that Eternal Fire inflames their lusts , and the thoughts of their own destruction doth even confirm them in the practice of those very sins that destroy them ; and yet to this pass doth the commission of presumptuous sins bring many a wretched Soul in the World to . Why , now resolution to sin out of despair is to sin as the Devil sins ; indeed it is to give the Devil's image in the Soul it's last flourish . The Devils and the damned Spirits as they lie always smothering and burning in Hell , so they always hear that dreadful sound For ever thus , for ever thus ; and because their Chains are made strong and eternal by an Almighty Decree , this makes them implacable , they fret and look upward , and curse that God that hath plunged them into those torments , from which Hell will never free them ; this makes them desperate in their resolutions to sin , because they despair of ever bettering their condition ; beware therefore , least you also by frequent commissions of Presumptuous Sins be given up to Hellish despair , such as this is , so to despair of mercy as at the same time to provoke and defie Justice ; and that 's the first great danger of sinning presumptuously , it will make Men resolute , either thorough security or thorough despair to continue in sin .

Secondly , Presumptuous Sins make men impudent and shameless in Sin . Presumptuous Sins as they steel the heart with most desperate resolutions , so they also brazen the face with most shameless impudency : All shame ariseth from the apprehension of some evil suspected of us , or discovered in us , and the eyes that can discover it , are either the Eyes of God and Angels or the Eyes of Men like our selves : Now all presumptuous Sinners are grown bold and impudent as to God and Angels , though God be present with them in the closest secrecy , though his Eye sees them in the thickest darkness ; yet this doth not at all over-awe them , they dare sin even before his Face that must Judge them ; and if some of them be yet so modest , as to conceal their wickedness from the notice of Men , yet they are also so foolish and bold as not to regard God's seeing them , in comparison of whom to sin in the sight of the whole World , is but to sin in secret ; but yet the frequency of presumptuous sinning , will also quickly cause them to abandon this shame too , and to outface the Face of Men , which they more dread than they do the Face of God or Angels : The Lord himself takes notice of the impudency of such Men ; and certainly every Sinner hath cause to blush when God calls him impudent . In Jeremy 6.15 . says God there were they ashamed , when they had committed all these abominations ; nay they were not at all ashamed , neither could they blush ; and in Jer. 3.3 . they have a Whores forehead , and they refuse to be ashamed ; and in Isaiah 3.9 . the shew of their countenance , says God , doth witness against them , they declare their sin as Sodom , Three degrees of shamelesness in sinning . they hid it not . There are three degrees of shamelessness in sinning , to which many of our grosser Sinners do arise .

A committing foul sins publickly . First , Those that will dare to commit foul sins even publickly and knowingly : Some Men lose half the pleasure of their sins , unless others may know how wicked they are , and how far they dare affront the Almighty ; the Swearer swears not in secret , where none can hear him , but in Company , and calls Men to witness as well as God , the Drunkard reels in our Streets in mid day , and is ready to discharge his vomit in the faces of all that he meets with ; truly presumptuous sinning will at last grow to publick sinning ; not only at the last day , that which hath been done in secret , shall be divulged upon the house top , but many times even in this life those sins that at first wicked Men darst not commit , but in secret where no eye sees them , after a while they are grown bolder , and will act and own them before all Men.

Secondly , A boasting and glorying in sins when committed . Others are advanced farther , and not only sin openly , but they boast and glory in their sins also ; the Apostle in Philippians 3.19 . speaks of them , whose glory was in their shame ; they boast as if they had done some notable exploit , when alas they have only murthered a poor Soul of their own , that lay drawing on towards its death before .

Thirdly , A boasting in sins they dare not commit . There are others so shameless , that they boast of those very wickednesses that they never darst to commit . As cowards brag of their exploits in such and such a combat , which yet they never darst engage in ; so there are a generation in the World , who dare not for the terror of their consciences commit a sin , that yet will boast that they have committed it , as if it were a generous and honourable thing to be called and accounted a daring Sinner ; shall I call these Men , or Monsters rather , that boast of such things as make them more like Devils than Men ; and yet even to this height of profligate impudence will presumptuous sins lead you ; but let all such know , God is resolved to try the foreheads of these Men at the last and great day of Judgment , and in despight of all their swaggering and boldness , shame and everlasting confusion shall cover their Faces as impudent as they are now .

Thirdly , Consider this , what a fearful thing it will be if God should cut off such Men in the very act of some presumptuous sin , without affording them any time and space of repentance ; and have they any security that God will not , what promise have they that God will forbear them one moment longer ? nay they have been often told , that God will make a speedy end with them , that he will take them away as with a Whirlwind living , and in his wrath , as it is in Psalm . 57.9 . and therefore he strikes not without giving them warning enough though he strikes suddenly . God hath two chief Attributes , that he , especially ●ims to glorifie in all his transactions with Men , his Mercy and his Justice , these are the two great hinges , upon which all the frame of his Providence moves , the mighty affairs of Eternal Election , and Reprobation were first agitated out of design to magnifie Mercy and Justice ; and all temporal concernments are governed in such a way as may most advance these two Attributes of Mercy and Justice ; why now Mercy hath already had a large share of glory in forbearing after so many provocations , in waiting so long to be gracious , staying year after year expecting your Repentance ; and if you contemn the Riches of God's Grace and Mercy still , have you not Reason to fear it will be the Turn of Justice to deal with you next . And believe it , the commission of presumptuous Sins gives God a fair Opportunity to glorifie his Justice upon you to the utmost ; and why should you think God will lose such an Advantage ? All the World must needs fall down , and with trembling , adore the just severity of God , when they see a notorious Sinner cut off in the very act of some notorious and presumptuous wickedness , in Deuteron. 17.12 , 13 when a presumptuous Sinner is punished , says God , all the People shall hear , and fear , and do no more presumptuously ; and if so much glory will accrew to God by destroying you , why then should he spare you one moment longer than your next sin ? this is the best use he can make of presumptuous Sinners , even to set them up as examples and monuments of his wrath and vengeance to terrifie others ; and why should you think then , since his Mercy hath been glorified already to you in waiting and forbearing so long , that he will not upon the next sin you commit glorifie his Justice also ? it may be God hath begun to deal thus already with some of you , in the very midst of your sins , hath not the hand writing of some remarkable judgment appeared against you ; hath not God smitten some of you in your Persons , in your Estates , or in your Relations ; well take Christ's counsel , sin no more least a worst thing befal ●ou , least the next provocation he strike you through and sink you to Hell ? Oh consider what a fearful thing it is , while your Souls are all on flame in the commission of sin , then for God to hurl them down into everlasting and un●uenchable fire , as he may take just occasion and advantage to do for the glorifying of his Justice .

Fourthly , Consider this , It is hard to bring presumptuous Sinners to Repentance . It is very hard to bring presumptuous Sinners to reformation and repentance ; the first step to evangelical sorrow is legal terrour , which the Spirit of God works by convincing the Sinner of judgment and wrath to come , but now tell a presumptuous Sinner what judgment and wrath ●s due to him , that it is impossible for him to escape the vengeance of God , that justice will over-take him , read to him all the curses contained in the Book of God , and tell him that they are all entailed upon his sin ; this moves him not ; he knew and considered all this before ; a presumptuous Sinner must be a knowing Sinner ; he knows what Hell is as well as ever any Man did that hath not felt it ; he knows what a precious Soul he destroys , how glorious a Heaven he forfeits , what dreadful condemnation he exposeth himself to ; he knows all this and yet he sins ; and though this were enough , one would think , to daunt a Devil , yet he breaks through all this knowledge to his own lusts again ; the Apostle speaks of such in Romans 1.32 . who knows the Judgments of God , that they that commit such things are worthy of death , yet presumptuously continue in the commission of such sins ; now what hope is there of reforming and reclaiming such as these are , that sin after they have cast up their accounts what it will cost them ; certainly they that dare sin when they see Hell before them , there is no hope that they will leave sinning till they see Hell flaming round about them , and themselves in the midst of it .

Now then , though these presumptuous Sins being in their nature and aggravations so hainous , yet are the best Christians exceeding prone to commit them . When the Sea is tempestuous , did we only stand safe upon the shoar , it were enough to behold the woful Shipwracks of others , with that horror and commiseration that such a spectacle deserves ; but when we are tossed in the same tempest , and see some split against Rocks , and others swallowed up of quick sands , unto which naturally the stream strongly carries us also ; truly then , our pity and detestation of their dangers , our horrour and consternation of their ruin , is not sufficient without great care and diligence for our own security and preservation : Therefore , O Christians ! look to your selves , the glorified Saints in Heaven see the dangers they have escaped with praise , and the dangers others fall into with pity ; but thou , O Christian ! art not yet got to shore , still thou sailest upon the same Sea wherein most do perish , even the raging Sea of Corruption , which is yet made more raging by the storms of temptation ; and if thou seest many that are bound Heaven-ward , make Shipwrack of Faith and a good Conscience ; it is not enough for thee to slight their dangers , or to censure and pity their miscarriages ; but fear thou also least the same corruptions and temptations overwhelm and drown thee in the same Perdition ; this is the Apostle's caution , 1 Cor. 10.12 . Let him that thinks he stands take heed least he fall ; and in Rom. 11.20 . Thou standest by Faith , be not high-minded , but fear . And indeed , because of that violent inclination that is in all unto Sin , there is no state in this Life so perfect , as to make this Exhortation useless and unseasonable . David himself Prays for restraining Grace : Keep back thy Servant from presumptuous Sins .

The best Christians proved to be prone to the worst Sins . From which Words I formerly collected , and shall now prosecute this proposition .

That in the best Christians there is great Proneness to the worst Sins .

In the handling of this to true a point , I shall ,

First , By some demonstrations make it evident , that there is a strong inclination in the best to the worst Sins , and then search out the Original Cause whence it is , that since in the first Creation Man's Will was left wholly free , and indeterminate , without any other inclination to Good or Evil , besides what its Free and Arbitrary Choice made ; yet in the new Creation , whereby Souls are repaired , there should be still left in it that Biass that strongly sways it unto Evil. These Two things , God assisting , I shall at present do .

For the demonstratious of the point , I shall give you them in these following particulars ,

First , From the Examples of others . The Examples of others may here be a convincing Argument . If I should summon in the most excellent of God's Saints , a Man might wonder that Drunkenness , Incest , Murder , and Abjuration of Christ , that such Brats of Satan should ever be found in company with such an Angelical Troop as they are ; and yet Noah is Drunk , Lot is Incestuous , David Murders , and Peter Abjures ; these glorious Stars have had their twinklings ; and if the Leaders and Champions are thus foiled , what may we think then hath in all Ages befallen the Croud of Vulgar Christians : We may with truth and boldness say , Never was there a sin committed in the World , how horrid soever , unless the unpardonable Sin against the Holy-Ghost , but God may find it written down in his Book of Remembrance under their Names whose Names he himself hath written down in the Book of Life . And what shall we say , when we see a Stone falling , that there is no weight nor propenseness in it to fall ; shall we say , when we see such Eminent Christians falling into sin , yea even into great and gross sins , that they have not strong propensions and inclinations to sin . Yet O ye Saints , divulge not these things to Wicked Men , whisper them softly one to another with fear and trembling , least some Profane Wretch or other over-hear you , and take that for encouragement that was only meant for caution : What is more common , than for the Vilest Sinners to plead for their Excuse , or warrant rather the foul Miscarriages of God's dearest Saints : Thus the Drunkard looks upon Holy Noah as a Pot-Companion , whereby he discovers his Nakedness in a worse sence than ever Cham did . And thus the unclean Sensualist Quotes David , and calls him in to be the Patron of his Debauchery ; certainly if there be any Grief that can overcast the perfect Joys of the Saints in Heaven , it is that their Names and Examples should to the great dishonour of God be produced by wicked and sinful Men to countenance their grossest Sins and Wickednesses . But let such know , that though God hath set up these in his Church to be Monuments of his Mercy , to declare to Humble and Penitent Sinners how great Sins he can Pardon , yet if any hereupon imbolden themselves in Sin , instead of being set up as Monuments of Mercy , God will set them up as Pillars of Salt .

Secondly , From those frequent Exhortations given in Scripture to Watchfulness against , and Mortification of , these Sins . It appears that there is a strong proneness in the best to the worst Sins , from those frequent and pressing Exhortations that are given us in Scripture to Watchfulness against them , and to the Mortification of them . Wherefore were these Curbs necessary , but that God sees our Lusts are head-strong , and ready to fly out and hurry us into all Excesses ? Nay these Exhortations are not so particularly , nor with so great Emphasis , given to the Wicked as they are to the Children of God : Of the Wicked God saith , He that will be Wicked , let him be Wicked still , that 's all the Care God takes of them , as we use to say of them that we despair to reclaim , Nay let them take their own courses : But he especially warns and exhorts the Godly to beware of those Sins that one would think a Godly Man were scarce liable to commit . See how Christ Cautions his Disciples , Luke 21.34 . Take heed to your selves , says he , least at any time your Hearts be overcharged with Surfeiting and Drunkenness , and the Cares of this Life : Why , would not any Man wonder , that our Saviour should so solicitously warn them against Surfeiting and Drunkenness , which are the Sins usually of a Plentiful Estate , but what , warn them against these Sins whose Poverty was such , and was to be such , that those that gave unto them a Cup of cold Water , should receive a plentiful Reward for their pains ; were they in such danger to be Surfeited by the one , and Drunk with the other ; and what , they like to be choaked with the Cares of this Life , and with Carking to get what they had not , who had but just before renounced all that they had to follow Christ ? Yea , but Christ knew , that even in these poor abstemious Disciples , there was a Natural Proneness to Gluttony , and Rioting , and Drunkenness , and therefore he thus Exhorts them , and he doth it , that Grace may keep them from enclining to these Sins , as their Low and Persecuted Condition should be sure to keep them from committing them . So also the Apostle in Coloss. 3.5 . speaking to them that should certainly appear with Christ in Glory , as you may see in verse 4. yet these he commands to Mortifie their Members that were upon the Earth : Well , but what Members are these , it may be they are only vanity and inconstancy of Thoughts , levity and unfixedness of Affections , deadness and heaviness of Heart , and such other less Sins , that should they be perfectly free from , they should be perfectly Holy : No , says the Apostle , these Members are the big Limbs of the Old Man , they are Fornication , Vncleanness , Inordinate Affections , Evil Concupiscence , and Covetuousness . And in verse 8. he Exhorts them again to put off all these things , Anger , Wrath , Malice , Blasphemy , Filthy Communication , and Lying , and so he goes on reckoning up foul and horrid Sins , and Exhorts them to Mortifie these Sins who were to appear with Christ in Glory , those who never Lived in them , not at least after their Conversion ; is it not strange , that such eminent Christians as these were , should need Exhortations against such foul Sins ? Why , there 's many a Person in a state of Nature that would count their Morals much wronged , if you should be officiously importunate with them not to commit Adultery , or Blasphemy , not to be Covetous , or Drunkards , or the like , this they would look upon as an Injury done to them , that you should suspect such things as these are of them , would not they say , as Hazael did to the Prophet , What are thy Servants dogs , that they should do such great things as these are ? But the Apostle knew that the inclinations of the best were too strong , even to those Sins that a perfect Moralist would think scorn that they should be suspected of , and therefore he Exhorts them with all earnestness , and frequent importunity , to Mortifie such foul Sins as these are .

Thirdly , From the irritating Power of the Law . It appears also from the irritating power that the Law hath . Even in the best of God's Children there is accidentally through our Corruption such a Malign influence ( if I may so call it , ) in the Holy , Just , and Good Law of God , that instead of quelling Sin it doth the more enrage and provoke it , and this we call the irritating power of the Law . Thus the Apostle tells us in Rom. 7.11 , 13. That Sin takes occasion by the Law to work in us all manner of Concupiscence . Why , now were it possible that Sin should grow strong by that Law that was given on purpose to destroy it , but that there is in us violent propensions towards what is forbidden us , and eager desires after that which God hath denied us : So strangely depraved are our Corrupt Natures , that we swell with our Yoke , and labour to throw off whatever may lay a restraint upon us ; like Green Sticks which being bent one way , by natural strength we start as far back the other way . Can none of us call to mind some Sins that possibly we should never have committed , had they not been forbidden to us ; the Command often-times gives Corruption a hint in what & how it may offend God : And is not this therefore a clear demonstration of that mighty proness that there is in all of us unto Sin , when that Law that forbids Sin shall prove an incentive to it . The more will a high mettled Horse foam and fling the harder you Rein him in . And if you stop a River in its course , it will rise and swell till it over-flows its Banks ; and whence is this , but because there is a Natural Proneness in it to run towards the Sea : And when God casts his Law before Men as a stop to them in their sinful course , they swell the higher till they have born or over-flown all those Bounds and Dams that God hath set to Bound them in : And whence proceeds all this , but only because there is a Natural tendency and propension in Men's Hearts to Sin , and therefore the more they are opposed the higher still do our Corruptions swell , and the more do they rage ; and although the force of this sinful propension may be in some of God's Children in a good measure broken , yet in the very best of them is there some degree or other of this irritating power of the Law to stir them up to Sin , even by forbidding of them to Sin . And that 's the last demonstration .

The next thing propounded , Whence it is that Christians have a proneness in them unto every Sin . was to enquire into the Original Cause whence this sinful inclination proceeds ; how it comes to pass that there is in all Men , and even in the best Christians , such a strong propension unto Sin .

Now in the enquiry into this , I shall lead you on gradually by these following steps .

First , In Man's first Creation the Will had in it a Natural Power to determine the Specification of its own Acts , that is , freely to sway it self either unto Good , or Evil , which of them it pleased , and if there was any Biass in it to draw it more one way than another , as some there was , it was an inclination to that which is Good ; for Man's Faculties were then entire and perfect , his Knowledg clear to discern what was his chief Good , and his highest Happiness , his Will free to choose it , and his Affections ready to embrace and clasp about it : His Love , his Fear , his Joy , his Delight , were all of them Centred in God ; that which is now in us from Grace , was in him from Nature : Since the Fall we need a Twofold assistance , one a Common influence and assistance , such as is vouchsafed to all Men to enable them to the performance of the common and ordinary Actions of this Life , it is from God's immediate influence that we are enabled to Move , to Think , to Speak , for in him we Live , Move , and have our Beings . And then we need also a Special influence vouchsafed only to the Children of God , whereby we are enabled to perform Holy and Spiritual Actions , as to Love , Fear , and Obey God sincerely , and this Special influence we commonly call Grace , whereby we are enabled to Act Divinely and Spiritually : Now the difference betwixt Common and Special influence lies in this , that what God works in us by a Common influence , that is wrought without any grudg or reluctancy in Man's Nature to the contrary , but what is wrought in us by a Special influence , that is , brought to pass , Nature gain-saying and contradicting it , thus when God enables a Sinner to Act Faith , or Love , or any Divine and Heavenly Grace , this is contrary to the tendency of Corrupt Nature , and therefore this is called Special Grace . Now while Man stood in the state of Innocency , there was nothing in his Nature that contradicted his Fear of God , his Dependance on God , or his Love to God , and therefore to enable him to Act all these , he needed no Special influence of Special Grace , but only of a common and ordinary Providence . Before the Fall , Adam stood in no need at all of any such thing as Special Grace , as we now stand in need of , but the same assistance of God , for the kind of it , that enabled him to Move , or to Speak , or to Think , was sufficient also to enable him to perform the most Spiritual Obedience , because then the most Spiritual Obedience was no more to him , than those Actions which we call Natural , as Eating , and Drinking , Speaking , Walking , and Thinking , are to us now , and therefore he required no more assistance from God for the performance of Spiritual Obedience , than we now require from God for our Natural Actions . Now as he had this perfection of power to perform what was good , so he had a proneness of will also to it ; but yet in that proneness there was not perseverance : He might , as afterwards he did , turn aside from God unto Satan , and notwithstanding his inclination to Obedience , and proneness to that which was Good , yet having not a perseverance in that proneness , but being Lord over his own Will , as he was over the rest of the visible Creation , he voluntarily and wilfully consented to the Commission of Sin .

Why now , Secondly , This voluntary inclination of Adam to Sin , hath ever since by a dreadful , yet righteous Judgmen of God , brought upon all his Posterity a natural and necessary inclination unto Sin ; so that now , either whatever they do is Sin , or there is Sin in whatever they do . Now that we may clearly apprehend how Adam's first Sin and Provocation committed so many Thousand Years ago , causes such strong propensions to Sin in all his Posterity , you must observe these following particulars .

First , Consider this , that we and all Mankind were in Adam , not only as in our common Parent , from whom we received our Being , but as in our Common Head , Surety , and Representative , from whom we were to receive either our well or our ill Being ; he was the Head of the Covenant , both he and we were Parties in the Covenant , he obeying , we obeyed , and he sinning , we transgressed ; what he did as in this publick capacity , was not alone his Personal Act , but it was ours also . Now what Right Adam had to Indent for his Posterity , and to oblige them to the Terms of the Covenant , I have long since opened to you on another occasion , and I shall therefore pass it by now .

Secondly , The Threatning annexed to the Covenant of Works was Death . In the Day thou Eatest thereof , says God , thou shalt surely Die , Gen. 2.17 . Now there is a Threefold Death , that by the violation of this Command Man was subject unto : A Temporal Death , onsisting in the Miseries of this Life , and at last a separation of the Soul from the Body . An Eternal Death , consisting in the everlasting separation of the Soul from God ; and a Spiritual Death , consisting in the loss and separation of God's Image from the Soul : And upon Adam's Sin this Threefold Death was Threatned namely Temporal , Spiritual , and Eternal . Of these Three , the Spiritua● Death was presently inflicted upon Man's Fall , consisting in the separation of the Image of God from the Soul ; Man wa● immediately deprived of that Holiness and perfect Righteousness wherein the Image of God did consist .

Then Thirdly Observe , No Action can be Holy that doth not flow from the Image of God in the Soul , as from its principle . Every Action is sinful that hath not the Glory of God for its end , now no Action can have the Glory of God for its end , that hath not the Image o● God for its principle , and therefore Man being despoiled of this Image of God there is no Action of any Man in the state of Nature but what is sinful and corrupt : And hence it is that in Regeneration God again stamps his Image upon the Soul , not indeed so perfectly as at Man's first Creation , but yet in such a degree as doth thorough Grace enable him to Act Holily , and in some measure according to the will of God .

Fourthly , Though Man be despoiled of the Image of God , and cannot Act Holily , yet he is a busie and active Creature , and must and will be still acting ; he hath an active Nature , and he hath active Faculties still left him , though the Image of God that should make those Actions Holy is justly taken from him . And here at last we have traced out the true cause of that strong propension that there is in all Men unto Sin . While the Soul enjoyed the Image of God , it sought especially to do all in reference unto God , but now that it hath lost that Image it cannot any longer raise up its Actions to a suitableness to the Will of God , and therefore now it sinks them , and seeks only to please its own Carnal Desires and Appetite . Take the whole resolution of it in Two or Three Words : The Nature of the Soul makes it prone and inclined to Act , for it is a busie active Creature , and if it Acts it must Sin , because it hath not the Image of God to raise its Actions to a Holy and Divine conformity to the Will of God ; and therefore now to be prone to act is to be prone to sin ; and this is the true ground of that strong Propension that is in all Men , to that which is evil and sinful .

But , You will say , if this proneness to sin be from the loss of God's Image , how comes it to pass that those who are renewed again according to the Image of God , do still complain of this strong proneness and propension to sin ?

To this I answer , that those of fallen Mankind , to whom God is pleased to restore his Image in regeneration , accordingly as this Image is more or less perfect , so is this proneness to sin more or less strong ; but because the best are but in part renewed , therefore this sinful proneness is but in part destroyed in the best ; Grace weakens it , but Grace doth not quite remove it ; and therefore the holiest Christian hath , and shall have as long as he lives in this World , 'cause to complain with the Apostle , Romans 7. 23. I see another law in my members warring against the law of my mind , there is a carnal , sensual inclination in him , strongly swaying him to sin contrary to the bent and inclination of his renewed part ; and therefore he shall have cause still to cry out with the Apostle , Oh wretched Man that I am ! who shall deliver me from the body of this death ; because the Image of God is but in part restored in him , therefore there is partly also an inclination in him to sin . Yea but you will say possibly this inclination in the best Christians may be to smaller and lesser sins , but it cannot be thought that a Child of God , who is renewed again according to the Image of God , should have a strong proneness and inclination to those foul sins that the wicked of the World lie in .

To this I answer , the most that Grace doth in the best of God's Children in this life , is , to weaken and lessen that natural propension that is in a Child of God to every sin , but not to destroy that Propension to any one sin at all , no not to the foulest and vilest sins : The Old Man in this life never loseth one limb , though it be weakned and consuming away in his whole body . Take a Child of God , that before his Conversion had a strong Propension to any sin ; suppose what sin you will , though never so foul and horrid ; the same Propension still remains . It is not indeed so violent and raging as it was , but there it is , it is abated and overcome by Grace , but still there is the same proneness to sin ; it may be a Christian is not so sensible of this Propension to sin , not so frequently as formerly he hath ; but yet the experience of the best sometimes can inform them , that even to the worst sins and most horrid temptations , they find a faction and party in their hearts to promote them ; and it is as much work as Grace can do to subdue and quell these great sins .

I now come to enquire into the grounds and reasons , why God should suffer this proneness to sin to continue in his dearest Saints and Children after their Conversion and Regeneration ? possibly some may think it would have been far more conducible to God's glory , as well as their own peace and comfort , if God had at once at their first Conversion utterly destroyed all the seeds and remainders of corruption in them , and at first made them as perfectly holy as they shall be at last ; hereby , God would not have been so provoked as he is , nor his Spirit so grieved , nor the Devil so rejoyced at the dayly miscarriages of the best Christians : Wherefore is it that God hath perfected the Saints now in glory , but that they might yield him perfect Obedience and Service ? Why , truly our services would be as perfect and as well pleasing unto God as theirs are , were our imperfect natures as theirs are ; and therefore God would have had a double Heaven , an upper and a lower Heaven had he but destroyed sin in us upon Earth ; and since it might seem so much to redown to his glory ; Why God leaves a proneness to Sin in his own Children . why hath he not consummated our Sanctification ? but still left thorns in our eyes , and goads in our sides , with which not only we but he himself also is grieved and vexed , what should be the reason of this ?

Now to answer this question , Because it is his Will so to do . you must know the general and comprehensive reason thereof is his own Soveraign unaccountable good will and pleasure , into which the reason of all things is most rationally resolved ; and therefore , that among all Mankind that lay all alike in the same mass of corruption , that some are sanctified , and some are not , that among them that are sanctified , some are sanctified in one degree , and some in another , and yet none so perfectly as to be freed from sin ; the best of God's Saints may rest satisfied in this ; it is God's good pleasure to give forth his Grace in such a measure , to some more , to some less , as shall only weaken not utterly destroy the corruptions of his People : Therefore the Apostle in Hebrews 9.10 . speaking of Christ's coming to do the will of God , by which will , says he , we are sanctified : That we are sanctified when others are not , is from the will of God ; that we are sanctified in such a measure , not more nor less , must be resolved into the soveraign and uncontroulable will of God , by which will we are sanctified ; and yet there are also many wise ends and reasons of this will of God , why he should leave still such sinful Propensions and corrupt Inclinations , even in the best of his People .

As first , Because hereby he maintains a harmony in the Works of Grace . Hereby God maintains a beauty and harmony in the works of Grace , as well as in the works of Nature ; the beauty and harmony of the Universe consists in gradation ; whereby , as by little steps or rounds we ascend from one kind of being to another ; thus God hath placed Man in the World , as it were a middle step betwixt brute Creatures and Angels , and therefore he partakes somewhat of the nature of both ; his Soul and his intellectual part that is made like the nature of Angels , and then there is in him a sensative part , Desires and Propensions ; and on this side he is a kin even to the Beasts that perish ; so is it also in the works of Grace , a Christian is as it were a step betwixt a wicked Man and an Angel , a wicked Man hath no Grace , and a holy Angel hath no sin ; now to make up this great gap , God hath placed a Christian as a middle step betwixt them , to tack and unite the moral World together . There is in him a heavenly and spiritual part , and by that he is of affinity to the Angels ; and there are also in him sinful desires , and sinful inclinations , and by this he holds hands with wicked Men , and is thereby joyned to them ; and thus God illustrates his admirable Wisdom , in causing such an admirable harmony and gradual difference in the Works of Grace , bringing Men out of a State of mere sinful Nature , to a State of Grace mixed with sin , and from a State of Mixt Grace to a State of pure and compleat Grace , where , at last a Christian shall be fully consummated , and be as the Angels of God ; thus from step to step God gradually carries on the work of Sanctification to Perfection ; and hereby he maintains an admirable beauty and harmony in the Works of Grace , as well as in the Works of Nature ; this sets forth the beauty of the World , that there is such a conveyance from one kind of Creatures to another ; whereby they touch one another , and are tacked together by several orders , as inanimate and sensitive , then rational as Men , then intellectual as Angels : So also is it in grace , from a wicked Man to a Saint , partly wicked , and partly gracious , from a Saint on Earth to a Saint in Heaven , where the imperfect Work of Grace here on Earth is swallowed up by perfect Grace and Holiness .

Secondly , For the Exercise of their Graces Therefore doth God suffer sinful inclinations to remain in the best Christians , that he might have wherewithal continually to exercise the Graces of his People . Some Graces are Graces of War if I may so call them , which would never be exercised if we had not Enemies to encounter with ; and therefore as it is said in Judges 3.2 . That God would not utterly drive out all the Nations before the Children of Israel , but left some of them among them , that by continual combating and fighting with them , they might learn War ; so neither hath God utterly expelled the Spiritual Canaanites out of the hearts of his People , to this end , that by dayly conflicting with them , they might learn the Wars of the Lord , and might grow expert in the handling and using every piece of their Spiritual and Christian Armour ; how should we keep up a holy Watch and Ward , if we had no Enemies to beat up our quarters ? and how should we exercise Faith , which S. John tells us is our victory , if we had no Enemies to conquer ? and how should we exercise Repentance and godly Sorrow , whereby the Soul is recruited , and whereby its Graces are reinforced again , if so be we were never foiled nor overcome by ou● Spiritual Enemies ; part of our Spiritual Armour would soon rust , but that ou● corruptions and sinful inclinations put u● dayly upon a necessity of using of them shortly when we come to Heaven , we shall have no need nor use of these Graces , there we shall be out of the reach o● all Enemies ; and therefore God is resolved to exercise these Graces here , and therefore he suffers corruption to abide in this life , that so Grace making way thorough this corruption may enter into Heaven , where it shall for ever rest and triumph ; these warring Graces of the Saints , have no time nor place to be exercised in , but only in this life ; and because God will have all the parts of holiness have their due exercise , therefore hath he left these corruptions in the Soul that their warring Graces might have Enemies to encounter with .

For the Glory of God's Power . And thirdly , Hereby also the Almighty power of God is exceedingly glorified in preserving us thorough Faith unto Salvation ; notwithstanding our own violent inclination and proneness to sin unto our own destruction ; though St. Peter , when he walked upon dry Land , was ●pheld by the Power of Christ as God ; ●et that Power was not so remarkably glorious in his preservation , and walking upon the dry Land , as when Christ ●ent him his hand , and upheld him from ●inking , when he walked and stood upon the surface of the Water ; because ●hen he had a proneness and propension ●n him to sink more than when he stood upon the dry Land : So truly I may say ●hat the standing of the glorified Saints ●n Heaven in a State of Holiness , altho ●t may be , and is a Work of God's Almighty Power ; yet it seems not altogether so much to magnifie the Power of God , in preserving them in that State of Holiness and Glory , no not to Eternity , as it doth to preserve a poor weak Christian one day in a State of Grace ; because there is no proneness in a glorified Saint to fall from his happiness into Sin , but there is in a Saint on Earth to ●all from Grace , and from the Work of God upon his Soul . The prevalency of Christs Intercession is hereby Glorified .

Fourthly and lastly , This glorifies also the prevalency of Christ's Intercession , and the triumph of God's pardoning Grace and Mercy . O how exceedingly glorious is free Grace ! in that God can and doth for Christ's sake pardon many and great sins , though he certainly knows there is such a sinful Propension left behind in Mans nature , that will again be breaking out into the same or greater provocations .

The application of this point shall be in these particulars : First , is there so strong a proneness in the best Christians to the worst Sins , hence then , let wicked Men learn not to insult over them when they fall , nor to reproach holiness with their foul miscarriages ; truly Grace hath always found it ill neighbourhood to dwell in the same Soul with Sin ; for wicked Men being themselves all of one piece , they know not how to distinguish betwixt the Propensions of the one , and of the other ; they know not how to distinguish when a Saint in a Christian acts , and when the Sinner ; and so they very irrationally charge Holiness with those crimes , that were they not in part unholy they should never commit ; when a Man that makes a forward profession of Religion , and in the general course of his life , makes Conscience of his ways , when he doth through temptation or inadvertency fall into some sin that becomes notorious ; what is more common in the mouths of profane scoffers than this ? This is one of your Godly ones , This is one of the sanctified gang ; thus they laugh and snear at him . No but , Sinner , let me tell thee , thou mistakest the Man ; Did you ever hear him pray so as to charm Heaven , and which is more so as to melt even your hearts into affections ? Did you ever hear him discourse of spiritual things , as if he had been intimate with Angels , and one of Heavens Secretaries ? Have you formerly observed in him a blameless and exemplary Conversation ? then indeed you might say this is one of the Godly . Holiness owns him , Religion glories in him while he thus adorns his Profession ; but when he sins , say not , Behold one of the Godly ; this is Blasphemy against Religion . No it is not the Godly Man that sins ; no , it is the corrupt and unholy part in him ; it is that part in him that is most like to thee . In Romans 7.17 . says the Apostle there , it is no more I but sin that dwells in me ; and if it b● indwelling sin that is the cause of actual sin in the best , why then do you bely● their Graces ? Why do you accuse the● whom the Apostle vindicates , and tell you plainly , that it is not they , but si● in them ? Learn therefore to put a difference betwixt a Saint and a Sinner in every Child of God ; and if it be the Sinner in them that exposeth them to you scorns and flouts , what else do you i● upbraiding of them , but more upbraid your selves , that are nothing but Sinner throughout : Judge therefore , how sensless and unreasonable it is for you to reproach them , who were they not so much like you , you would have nothing to reproach them with ; therefore le● wicked Men never more flout and jea● at the falls and sins of those that are holy , imputing them to them as holy , for it is the Sinner in them that sins , and not the Saint , and by upbraiding them for sin , they do more upbraid and reproach themselves . A Proneness to Sin in God's Children should make them humble .

Secondly , Is there such a strong Propension in the best to the worst Sins ? See then what cause even the best have to be continually humble . Oh , this is that which breaks the very heart , and rends the very Bowels of a true Christian , that ●e should be so violently inclined to that which of all things in the world his God ●s most averse to , and which , of all things in the world , as it is the only thing he never made , so it is that which he always hates ; this is that which makes him smite his Breast with anguish , and to cry out with the Apostle , O wretched Man that I am ! And well truly may the best Saint call himself a wretched man , since he carries that ●n his bosom that will be a perpetual torment and vexation to him as long as he lives ; there are Factions and Rebellions , intestine Discords , and civil Wars within , the Flesh lusting against the Spirit , and the Spirit lusting against the Flesh ; there 's a Sea of wickedness , and yet in the midst of it true Grace , like Fire , striving to burn it up : Nay , no wonder this great Combustion makes such a Smoke and Smother as wrings Tears from his Eyes ; for when he meditates , this choaks his Meditation ; he begins with God , but through this sinful proneness , he fall , he knows not how , into some impertinent thought o● other , and in a moment he slides from Heaven to Earth ; his Thoughts are lik● ravell'd Thread ; he knows not thei● method , and order , nor end of them When he prays , this Corruption sits very heavy upon his Heart ; and as at the Evening the shadow of the Body move much faster , so truly many times th● Lips move apace in Prayer , when ye● the Heart is dull and drowsie ; where ever he is , whatever he is about , Lus● is intruding into his company , Corruption will be thrusting it self into all hi● Actions : This is that which makes him weary of his very Life , so that he could very well be content ; nay , he really and heartily wishes from his heart , that thi● House of Clay were pulled down abou● him . Truly , when we look abroad in to the world , and take notice in wha● filthy Sins it wallows , what Oaths and Cursings , what Blasphemies and Drunkenness , what Murthers , Uncleannesses and Riots have every where over-spread the face of the whole Earth ; What do we see , but the Effects of that sinful Nature that is common to us as well as unto them ? there we see our own heart unbowell'd , and there we can discern what our selves are at the cost of other mens Sins , What says the Wise man , in Prov. 27 , 19 ? As in water face answereth unto face , so doth the heart of a man to a man . It was the proud Pharisee's boast , Lord , I thank thee that I am not as other men are , Extortioners , Vnjust , Adulterers , or a this Publican ; as it is in Luke 18. Yes , believe it , you , and I , and all , yea , the best of us all , we are even as others are ; the vilest Sinners are the truest Glasses to represent to our view what our Hearts are ; their wickedness gives in a true Inventory of what lies locked up in our Breasts ; there we have the same Vipers knotting and sprawling within , that crawl forth in others Lives ; there is Rancour , and Malice , and Hatred , and Slaughters and Adulteries , and the whole Spawn of all those black Sins that have made Men either infamous in Story , or mighty in Torment , and that we have not yet out-sinned all the Copies that ever were set us , that we have not yet discovered some new unknown wickedness to the World , is not because our inclination to Sin , or our stock of Corruption fails us ; but because God's Grace either preventing or renewing , fails not . Where then is the Christian that hath not cause to go mourning to his Grave ? can you blame him to see him sad and disconsolate , when he hath no less Reason for it , than a Heart brim-full of Sin ? Certainly that Man neither loves God , nor his own Soul , that can hear that there is in him such a violent propension to injure the one , and ruine the other , without exclaiming with the Prophet , Woe is me , for I am undone , because I am a Man of an unclean heart , and of polluted Lips . It is but just , yea , it is all the reason in the World , that while our hearts continue to be fountains of Sin , our heads should continue to be fountains of Tears .

That Proneness that is in God's Children to Sin should make them long for Heaven . Thirdly , Is there in the best a strong proneness to the worst Sins , what cause have we then to long and breath after Heaven ? For not till then shall we be free from it . In-dwelling Sin hath taken a Lease of our Souls , and holds them by our own Lives ; it will be in us to the last gasp ; and as the Heart is the last that dies , so also is that Corruption that lodgeth in it ; but yet die it must , and die it shall : And this is the comfort of a Child of God , that though he brought Sin with him into the World , yet he shall not carry it with him out of the World : God hath so wisely ordered and appointed it , that as Death came in by Sin , so also shall Sin it self be destroyed by Death : As Worms when they creep into their holes , leave their Slime and their Dirt behind them : Why truly so is it with a Christian ; when he dies , he leaves all his Slime , all his Filth and Corruption at the mouth of the Grave , and his Soul gets free from that Clog , and mounts up into the bosom of God ; and there alone is it that it shall no more strive and struggle against sinful Propensions and Inclinations ; there shall it be eternally fixed and confirmed , not only in Glory , but in Holiness also ; we shall there be out of the reach of Satan's Temptations . We read indeed , that sometimes the Devil appears before God , as an Accuser ; but we never read , that he comes there as a Tempter ; we shall no more feel the first risings and steamings up of Corruption there ; no more shall we cast kind glances upon our Sins , nor have hovering Thoughts towards them . O blessed Necessity , when the Soul shall be tied up to one all-satisfying Good ; when it shall have as natural a proneness , and ardour , to delight in God , as to love it self , and to delight in its own happiness ? And who then would desire to linger any longer here below , and to spin out his wretched Life , wherein Sin and Sorrow shall have the greatest share ; here the best of us are in perpetual Combates and Quarrels betwixt Sin and Geace ; the one will not yield , and the other cannot ; Corruption , that compells one way , and Grace commands another : Haste therefore , O Christian , out of this Scuffle ; make haste to Heaven , and there the controversie will be for ever decided ; there shalt thou no more live in fear of new sins , nor yet in sorrow for old sins , but all sorrow and sighing shall flee away ; all tears shall be wiped from our eyes , and all Sin shall be rooted out of our hearts , and we shall be perfectly holy , even as the Angels themselves are .

A Proneness in us to Sin , should make us ●●●ful to avoid occasions of Sin . Lastly , Is there such a strong proneness in the best to the worst Sins , this then should teach us carefully to avoid all Temptations to Sin , and whatever may be an occasion to draw forth that Corruption that lies latent within us : Wherefore is it that one Petition of those few that Christ taught his Disciples , was , that God would not lead them into Temptation , but because he knew there is in all of us sinful Natures , that do too too well correspond with Temptations ? And he knew that if we were brought into Temptations , it is very seldom that we are brought off from them without Sin . Were we as free from inherent Sin as Adam was at first ; or were we confirmed in Grace , as the Saints in Heaven now are , we might then repell all Temptations with ease ; and therefore our Saviour , whose Nature was spotless , by an extraordinary conception , and whose Holiness was secure to him by an unspeakable Union of the Godhead , he tells us , in John 4.13 . The Prince of this World came , and found nothing in him . The Devil came to tempt him ; but because he found nothing in him , therefore he could fasten nothing upon him ; no Temptation could enter because there was no Corruption to receive it ; and therefore when he tempted Christ , he only cast fiery darts against an impenetrable Rock , a Rock that will beat them back again into his own face ; but our Corruptions have made us combustible Matter , that there is scarce a Dart thrown at us in vain ; when he tempts us , it is but like the casting of Fire into Tinder , that presently catcheth ; our Hearts kindle upon the least Spark that falls ; like a Vessel that is brim-full of Water , upon the least jogg , runs over : Were we but true to our selves , though the Devil might knock by his Temptations , yet he could never burst open the everlasting Doors of our Hearts by force or violence ; but alas , we our selves are not all of one heart and one mind ; Satan hath got a strong party within us , that as soon as he knocks , opens to him , and entertains him ; and hence is it that many times small Temptations , and very petty occasions draw forth great Corruptions ; as a Vessel that is full of new Liquor , upon the least Vent given , works over into foam and froth ; so truly our hearts , almost upon every slight & trivial Temptation makes that inbred Corruption that lodgeth there , swell , and boil , and run over into abundance of Scum and Filth in our Lives and Conversations , Have we not great cause therefore to be jealous and suspicious of our selves , and to keep a watchful eye over all the motions of those Bosom-Traitors , our own hearts . He that trusteth to his own heart , says Solomon , is a Fool , Prov. 28.25 . Certainly it were the greatest Folly in the World to trust our Hearts after so frequent experience of their Treachery and Slipperiness ; venture them not therefore upon Temptations : What Security have you that your sinful Hearts will not sin ; yea , and it may be , betray you into such great Abominations as you cannot now think of without horrour ; as Men presume upon the Mercy of God to pardon their lesser Sins ; so they presume also upon their own strength to preserve them from greater Sins ; they say of small Sins , is it not a little one , and our Souls shall live ? And they say of great Sins , is it not a great one , and our Souls shall never commit it ? Alas , how know you but if once you lay your head in the Lap of a Temptation , these Philistines will be upon you ; and you , like Samson , think to go and shake your selves as at other times ; but alas , your great strength is departed from you , and you left a Prey to the foulest and wors● of Sins whatsoever . And thus now you have seen in David's Prayer , the bes● Saints proneness to the worst Sins .

The next Thing observable is , The best Saints Weakness and Inability to preserve themselves without the assistance of Divine Grace ; and both these , namely their proneness to commit Sin , and their weakness to resist it , are evident Demonstrations of the general Proposition ; the Almighty Grace of God is their best yea , and their only Security .

Now , as the Bottom and Foundation of this present Exercise , I shall lay down this Point to be treated of .

That it is not a Christians own , but God's Power only that can preserve him from the Commission of the most daring and presumptuous Sins . Advantages that men have to keep themselves from presumptuous Sins . And yet truly , if any Sins are easie to be resisted and overcome , they are the Sins of the grosser sort ; for many times it is with Sins , as with over-grown Bodies ; the vaster the Bulk of them is , the less is their force and activity . The Soul hath great advantage to lay hold on great Sins , and to keep them off at Arms length , when less Sins flip in , and seize upon the heart unperceivably .

For , First , Presumptuous Sins give warning to prepare for resistance . Great and presumptuous Sins seldom make an assault upon the Soul but they give warning before-hand to prepare for resistance . The Stratagems of War , if they are but discovered , they usually prove unsuccessful ; as strong Liquors taking vent , lose their strength and spirits ; so is it in this holy War also ; the Soul may easily foresee gross Sins , and therefore may more easily avoid them : If a Man feels in himself sinful Thoughts stirring , and sinful Desires strugling , hereupon an Assault is made , and the Devil hereby gives us warning what Sins we should especially watch against . Are they lascivious Thoughts ? Beware of Vncleanness . Are they wrathful Thoughts ? Beware of Murther . Are they murmuring thoughts ? Beware of Blasphemy . Are they worldly Thoughts and Desires ? Beware of Oppression and Injustice . Thus these Giant-like Sins stand forth in view , and send open defiance to the Soul , and bid it prepare for the Combat ; sinful thoughts and sinful desires go before , as Armour-bearers use to go before their Champions , and proclaim what great Lust is about to make an Assault upon the Soul . Now such fore-warnings as these are , is a great advantage that we have to repel and subdue them . Job 34.32 . That which I see not , teach thou me . And what follows ? Why , If I have done iniquity , I will do so no more . When a man sees his Enemy before him , this is a mighty advantage , either to avoid or to conquer . This Advantage now we have not against smaller Sins ; we cannot so easily escape sins of Ignorance , because we cannot see them ; nor yet the Sins of our Thoughts and Desires , because we cannot foresee them : Who of us all knows what Thoughts will next bubble up in our Hearts , whether holy and gracious , or whether sinful and prophane ? These strike without warning , and as an Enemy within , rise up in the midst of our Hearts unseen . Sins are of two sorts ; either such by which we are tempted , or such to which we are tempted : The Devil makes use of one Sin to tempt to another ; of a less , to tempt to a greater ; ●hus wicked Thoughts are at once sins ●n themselves , and also temptations un●o wicked Actions . Now it is very hard , ●nd the best Christians find it so , to keep ●hemselves free from sinful Thoughts ; ●ecause these spring up immediately in ●he Heart without any foregoing Tem●tations to them ; but while the Devil ● tempting us to sinful Actions by sinful Thoughts , then the Soul hath leisure to ●ecollect it self , to muster up all its ●races , to set its Guards to call in Di●ine Help and Assistance ; and upon ●hese Preparations it may more easily ●esist the Sin , and overcome the Temp●tion ; and that 's one great Advantage ●e have to keep our selves from pre●mptuous Sins .

Secondly , Natural Conscience opposeth the commission of presumptuous Sins . Natural Conscience also ab●rs more , and doth more oppose these ●trageous , presumptuous Sins , than it ●oth those Sins that it judgeth proceed ●ly from weakness and infirmity ; and this so gives us a mighty Advantage to keep ●r selves from them . Little Sins do not ●uch disturb the peace and quietness of Man's Conscience ; and therefore the ●postle speaks of himself before his Conversion , in Acts 23.1 . I have lived , says he , in all good Conscience before God until this very day . And so , in Phil. 3.6 Touching the Law , says he , speaking o● himself before his Conversion , I wa● blameless . How could that be ? What blameless , and unconverted , and in state of Nature ! Yes , he was not guilty of notorious , scandalous Sins ; and a● for lesser Faults , his Conscience over look'd them , and never blam'd him fo● them ; and so truly is it with many moral Man ; his Conscience hath not word to say against all their small an● petty Sins ; let their Hearts be sensua● and their Thoughts vain , and their Di●course unsavoury , and their Lives unprofitable ; yet still Conscience and the live very friendly together : But let th● Devil tempt such a sober Sinner as th● is , to Murther , or Adultery , or Drunkenness , or some such branded Impiety Conscience then flings Fire-brands , an● storms , and cries out with Hazae● What is thy Servant a Dog , that he shou● do such things as these are ? As Subjec● pay to their Prince in many little Sun without grudging that , which were exacted from them all at once in o● great Tax would make them repine if ●ot rebell ; so is it with us , we stand ●ot with the Devil for small sins , but ● he tempts us to greater abominations , ●hen Conscience makes an alarm and up●oar in the Soul , and will not , nay cannot consent to damn it self by whole●ale ; certainly , that Man that can , as our Saviour speaks of the Pharisees swal●ow Camels , sins of a huge bulk and size , without any check or straining at them , must needs have a Conscience as wide mouth'd as Hell , and he , who hath so ●arge a Conscience , hath no Conscience at all ; and that 's another advantage we have against presumptuous Sins .

Thirdly , Fear of shame and infamy a remedy against presumptuous Sins . The fear of Shame and of Infamy in the World many times puts a great restraint upon the Lusts of Men , and keeps them from breaking out into those daring and presumptuous Wickednesses that otherwise they would do . Therefore our Saviour describes the unjust Judge to be one of a strange temper , that neither feared God , nor regarded Man , Luke 18.2 . Why , those that have worn off all fear of God from their Hearts , yet usually have some awe of Man still lest them ; though the are so hardned that they fear not God Judging them , yet they are withal ● Childish that they fear Man's Censurin● them ; loath they are that their Name should be tossed to and fro , from Tongu● to Tongue , that the World should say of them , this Man is a Drunkard , an● that Man is an Vnclean Person , an● that Man is a Thief . Tell me , O Sinner , why else dost thou seek Corners t● hide thy Wickedness in , why dost tho● not do it in the face of the Sun , and before the Eyes of the whole World , why that very shame that makes Men scull in secret when they Sin , had they n● secrecy to hide themselves in from the notice of Men , it would keep them also from the Sin it self . It doth not terrifie Men to Consider , that God write down all their Sins in his Book of Remembrance , but should he write al● their Sins upon their Foreheads in visible Letters , that all the World might Read them , where is the Wretch so impudent that would dare to be seen abroad , our Streets would be desolate , and your Pews would be empty , and the World would grow a Wilderness , and those that we took for Men would appear to be but very Monsters and Beasts , such woful transformation hath Sin made in the World : how many Swines are there ●wallowing in their own Vomit ? how many Goatish sensualists are become Brutish in Filthy Pleasures ? how many Earth Worms are there crawling up and down in the Muck of this World , loading themselves with thick Clay ? certainly , if every Sinner should be seen in his own shape , we should meet with very few Men in the World . Why , now Wicked Men are ashamed to be seen abroad in such disguises as these are , and therefore they study to Sin in secret , or if that cannot be , they force themselves to abstain from Sin , unwilling they are to be pointed at in the Streets , there goes a Drunkard , or an Extortioner , there a Cheater , or an Adulterer , and the like , and for very fear hereof sometimes they are kept from the commission of those infamous Sins that would make them a Reproach to all their Neighbours : And that is another advantage .

The Laws of Men keep Men from Sin . Lastly , The fear of Humane Laws and Penalties doth many times keep Men from the committing many great and horrid Impieties , such as would fall unde● the notice of the Law . It is a great Mercy that God hath Instituted Magistracy that may be a Terrour to Evil Works as the Apostle speaks , Rom. 3.13 . were it not more for fear of Humane Laws the inflicting of Corporal Punishment upon Men , more than God's Threatning of Eternal Punishments , the whol● World would become worse than a Savage Wilderness ; within would be Fear and Tumults , without would be Rag● and Violence ; our Dwellings , our Persons , our Possessions , would be all exposed to the furious lusts of ungodl● Men , and by swearing , and lying , an● killing , and stealing , and committing adu●tery , Men would break forth , till bloo● toucheth blood , as the Prophet speaks Ho● 4.2 . but the wise Providence of God who hath subdued the Beasts of the Eart● to Man , hath also subdued Man ( wh● else would become more wild and br●tish than they ) to Man ; God hath ther●fore subdued Man to Man , so that tho● that stand not in any awe of the Go● of Heaven , yet are they awed by the Gods of the Earth ; and they whom the thoughts of Hell and Eternal Wrath cannot scare from sin , yet many times the thoughts of a Prison and Gibbet doth . Now this fear is of great advantage to keep Men from the commission of presumptuous Sins , which they have not to keep them from the commission of lesser and smaller sins ; and what , is not this security enough against them ? is there need of any more ? were it not strange , if that warning given before-hand to prepare for resistance , if the reluctancy of natural Conscience , if the shame of the World , and the fears of humane Laws and Penalties should not be sufficient to preserve us from them ? Were not this strange ? Yes it were so ; yet so it is ; notwithstanding all these advantages , still we have great cause to pray with David , Lord keep back thy servants from ●resumptuous Sins , all other defence is ●ut weak , and all other security is but ●nsafe , Lord , therefore do thou keep us ; ●nd this I shall endeavour to demonstrate ●nto you by two particulars , the one ●rom Scripture , and the other from Experience .

First , from Scripture . All our ability , whether for the performance of duties , or for the opposing of corruption , is in Scripture entirely ascribed unto the power of God ; thus the Apostle exhorts the Ephesians in Chap. 6.10 . My Brethren , says he , be strong , but in whom , what , in your selves ? no , says he , but , be strong in the Lord , and in the power of his might , for in his Almighty Power , though mighty corruptions rush in upon you and threaten your ruin , though the Devil and the Powers of Hell push sore at you to make you fall ; yet God calls upon you to stand , and to withstand them all ; stand , alas ! how can we ? Such poor weak feeble creatures as we are , how can we stand ? Why , says the Apostle , be strong in the Lord , there 's your security against all the force of your Spiritual Enemies , lay hold on his Almighty Power , and engage that for you , and this will bring you off the Field with victory and conquest : So again in 2 Cor. 5. and 3. We are not sufficient , says the Apostle , of our selves , to do any thing as of our selves , not sufficient to think a good thought , and therefore not sufficient to resist an evil thought ; for our resisting of an evil thought , must be by thinking a good one ; if an evil thought rise up in our hearts , we cannot of our selves so much as think that , that thought is evil , nor think that it ought to be suppressed and stifled ; and much less can we then of our selves suppress any sin ; and what should we do under this utter impotency and inability , but call in Divine help and assistance ? our sufficiency is of God . Why now , yet in this we cannot think our sufficiency to be of God , nor can we depend upon the sufficiency of God to enable us to do it , for it is God , says the Apostle , that worketh in us both to will and to do of his own good pleasure , both to think and to act ; so you have it in Philippians 2.12 . so that it is most evident to all that will not willfully shut their eyes against the light of truth , that both the first motions , and the whole succeeding progress of the Soul , either to the performance of duty , or to the resistance of sin , is wholly from God's Almighty power engaged for them , and strengthning them to the one , and for the other .

Secondly , Another demonstration of this truth shall be from the common experience of all ; have you not found sometimes , that you could with holy scorn and disdain reject those very Temptations to sin , that at other times when God hath absented himself from you , when he hath withdrawn his Power and Grace , they have sadly prevailed upon you , it may be to the commission of some daring and presumptuous sin ; have you not found it to be so ? what else is this , but an evident argument , that it is not your own , but God's Power that keeps you from the worst sins ? We may conclude by our falls , when God doth forsake us , that when we stand , we stand not by our own strength , but by his ● Why do you not always fall ? or why do you not always stand ? Will you say it is , because we are not always alike tempted ? if you be not , why then since the Devil is always alike malicious ? Even , herein appears the Mercy and Power of God , who almightily rebukes him ; but when you are alike tempted , whence proceeds it , that sometimes you yield , and sometimes you resist and conquer ? but only from hence , sometimes God is present to assist you , and sometimes he departs from you to humble you ; he is present sometimes , that you might not utterly sink and perish under your sins ; and he absents himself sometimes , that you may be sensible by your falls , that formerly it was not your own , but his Power that preserved you ; and this may suffice for the demonstration of the truth ; that it is not in the power of the best Christians to keep themselves from presumptuous Sins , but God's power only .

Now by this time possibly it may arise up in the hearts of some profane ones , to make the same Objection , as some did in the Apostles days , against the Doctrine of Election ; if it be so , that it is not in my own power to keep my self from the commission of sin , yea of the greatest and worst sins but only God's Power ; why doth he yet complain ? why doth he yet find fault with us for doing that , which we cannot but do , unless he himself preserve us from it ?

I might here take occasion to vindicate the Equity and Righteousness of God , in requiring from us the exercise of that Power , that he bestowed upon our natures at first , and which we lost only through our own willful default but I have done this divers times already , and therefore , I shall only at present briefly consider what Power Men have still lest them , both in a State of Nature , and in a State of Grace , to keep themselves from the commission of Sin , and that in a few particulars briefly .

First then , Clear it is , that whatever Power Men have either to naturals or to spirituals ; yet they cannot act or exercise that Power , without exciting influence from God to quicken and rouze it ; who will say , that a Man that sits hath not power to rise , and that a Man that stands hath not power to walk ; and yet it is certain , he neither shall rise nor walk , unless God move and excite and rouze that power of his , and put it upon that work , for in him as we live , so we move and have our being : so then the power to use our power is from God's quickning , enlivening , and actuating of us .

Secondly , A Child of God , who is regenerated and born again , hath a power to do some thing that is not sin ; because he hath a gracious Principle wrought within him , and he acts for a right end , even the Glory of God in the Salvation of his Soul ; but yet this withal must be supposed , that he shall never so act without the special aid and assistance of God quickning and stirring up his Graces .

Thirdly , a Man in a State of Nature , hath no power to keep himself from sin in general , that is , he hath no power to do any thing but what is sinful , for whatever action is not sinful , must flow from a gracious Principle , and must be directed to a right end , which no action of a wicked Man can be , for both the first Principle , and also the last end of every action that a wicked Man doth is carnal self .

Fourthly , Though wicked Men have not a power to do that which is not sinful , yet they have a power to resist this or that particular sin : They are sadly necessitated to act within the sphere of sin ; that is , whatever they act is sinful , but yet they may as it were chuse which sin they will act , neither doth this overthrow what was delivered before , for when they chose a less sin rather than a greater , when they avoid the commission of a daring and presumptuous sin , and chose rather to perform a duty ; this proceeds not meerly from their own power , but from the power and influence of God , raising and exciting their power ; that Men chuse to feed upon wholsome meat , rather than upon poyson , though they have a free will to do so ; yet this doth not merely proceed from their free will , but from God's guiding and exciting that free will to chuse wholsome food rather than poyson ; so is it here , what sin Man avoids , is not to be ascribed to his own power , though a power he hath , but it is to be ascribed only to God's common , or to his special Grace and Influence , whereby that power that would otherwise lie dead and unacted is quickned and actuated in us ; what difference is there betwixt a Man that hath no power , and a Man that hath a power , but yet cannot use it : Truly , such are we , what power we have against sin , we cannot make use of it , till God raise and act us by his exciting Grace ; therefore have we still need to pray with David , Lord , do thou keep me from sin , for though I have a power , yet it is but a latent and sleepy power , and will not be available till thou dost awaken and quicken it .

The next thing to be enquired into is how God keeps Men back from presumptuous Sins , even then , when their proneness to them is most violent and eager .

Now for satisfaction to this you must know , God hath two hands , whereby he holds Men back from their Sins .

First , The strong hand of his providence . Secondly , The powerful hand of his Grace , and sometimes God puts both these hands to it , in a mixt way of Providence and Grace together ; these are as it were God's left hand and his right hand ; by the one he over-rules the actions , and by the other he over-rules the hearts of Men , and both almightily .

God by his Providence keeps Men from sin . First , God frequently withholds Men from the Commission of Sin , by a strong hand of Providence upon them , frequently he doth so , and that he doth not so always , is not because he is defective , either in Power or Goodness , whereby he should restrain them from evil , but because he is Infinite in Wisdom , whereby he knows how to bring good out of evil ; and therefore , before I proceed to lay down those several ways that Providence takes to hinder the commission of sin , I shall premise this , That it is no taint at all to the pure Holiness of God , that he doth by his Providence concur to those wickednesses of Men , that if he pleased he might prevent and hinder ; that God doth so is clear , for Providence is not so often a restraint from sin , as it is a powerful temptation unto Sin ; it is a temptation as it administers Objects and Opportunities , and as it sutes them both unto the lusts of Men ; thus Cain killed his Brother Abel by a Providence , and Achan stole the wedge of gold ; Judas betrayed his Master , and the Jews Crucified him by a Providence ; yea , all that villany that ever was acted under the Sun , was all brought forth out of the cursed Wombs of Mens lusts , and made fruitful by God's Providences , neither is it hard to conceive how God should without sin himself , concur to sin in others , since his most Soveraign Will being above all Law , cannot possibly fall under any guilt ; we are obliged to keep back Men from the commission of sin , when it is in our power to do it , but no such obligation lies upon God , though he can easily keep all wicked Men in the World from ever sinning more ; yea , though they are so tied up , that they are not able to sin without his permission and concurrence , yet he permits wisely , concurs holily , and yet notwithstanding at last punishes justly . In brief God doth whatever Man doth , for as the Prophet saith , he works all our works in us and for us , and in him we live , move , and have our beings ; and yet in one and the same action Man sins and God is holy , because Man acts contrary to that Law which God hath set him , but God himself is subject to no Law , besides his own Soveraign Will , and where there is no Law , there is no transgression , as the Apostle speaks in Romans 4.15 . God is not bound to hinder the commission of sin as we are ; and therefore , when he permits , nay , when Providence accomplisheth it , still is he holy , just , and good , still is he righteous in all his ways , and holy in all his works , though he works that together with Men , that makes them unrighteous and unholy ; this I thought fit to premise , that so when you hear how many ways God is able to hinder the commission of sin by his Providence , you should not suffer any undue thoughts to rise up in your hearts against his Holiness ; when he chuseth sometimes rather to permit and concur to the sins of Men , than to hinder and forbid them , who when he permits sin permits it righteously , and when he hinders sin , hinders it almightily : Now there are four remarkable ways , whereby the All-wise Providence of God hinders the commission of a sin , even then , when Men are most bent and eager upon it .

Providence prevents sin by shortning the life of the Sinner . First , Sometimes where his Grace doth not sanctifie the heart , his Providence shortens the life of the Sinner ; where he doth not cleanse the Fountain , yet there he removes the Foundation of a Sin , that is , he takes away the very life and being of the Sinner ; many times when wicked Men have imagined some presumptuous sin , and go big with it , God suddenly cuts them off from the Land of the Living , and gives them no space to bring it forth , unless it be in Hell among these Devils that inspired it ; Psal. 64.6 , 7. says the Psalmist there , they search out iniquity , they accomplish a diligent search : but what follows ? God shall shoot at them with an arrow , suddenly shall they be wounded , while they are thinking and contriving wickedness in their hearts , in that very day they perish and their thoughts with them : Thus proud Pharaoh resolves , in spight of God and all his Miracles to bring back the Children of Israel to their old Bondage ; but before he could bring his purpose into execution , God brings him to execution ; and so Senacherib intends the destruction of Jerusalem , but before he could compass it , God slays his Army and his own Children also . Herod , he intends a bloody Persecution against the Church , but God smites him , Lice devour him , and eat a way into that very heart that conceived so wicked a purpose ; it were endless to cite instances in this particular . Histories and Hel● are full of those whom God's Providence hath cut off before they could fulfil thei● ungodly designs ; upon whom tha● threatning in Ecclesiastes 8.11 . hath been signally verified , It shall not be well with the wicked , neither shall he prolong his days , because he feareth not before God ? Now this Providence God doth usually , if not only exercise upon wicked Men , snatching them away from their sins , and yet in their sins also ; yea , and herein he deals with them also in some kind of Mercy , in that he abridges the time of his Patience to them , whom he foresees will only abuse it , and treasure up to themselves Wrath against the day of Wrath , for hereby their account is lessened , and their torments made more tolerable ; it had been better for Sinners , that they had dropt immediatly from the Womb to the Tomb , better that they had been swadled in their Winding-sheets ; yea , shall I say it had been better for them , that they had been doomed to everlasting torments as soon as they saw the Light , than that God should suffer them to live Twenty , Forty , or Sixty Years , adding iniquity to iniquity without repentance , and God accordingly adding torments to torments to punish them , never to be repented of : O the desperate conditions that Sinners are in ! unless God give them repentance , the sooner they are in Hell , the better it will be for them , and it is a Mercy if God will damn them betimes ; those whom God doth not endear to his Grace by changing their natures , yet he indebts to his Providence by shortning their lives ; and yet are there none of us , that wish our lives were prolonged to a thousand years were it possible , not that we might have a longer time and space to repent , but that we might the longer enjoy our sins ; why if God should grant your wish , and keep you alive till the day of Judgment ? would not that day become a thousand fold more gloomy and dreadful to us , than if God had cut us off at the ordinary time and age ; and therefore it is a great favour , that God vouchsafes both to the Elect and to Reprobates , in that since the Flood , he hath cut short the days of Man upon Earth , for hereby the Elect come to enjoy the Glory and Happiness of Heaven the sooner , and Reprobates feel the Torments and Punishments of Hell the lighter , Providence by a speedy dispatch preventing those Sins that otherwise would sink them the deeper into Condemnation .

Providence prevents Sin in men by shortning of mens Power . Secondly , God providentially keeps Men from sinning , if not by shortning their Lives , yet by cutting short their Power , whereby they should be enabled to commit Sin . All that power that wicked men have to sin , it is either from themselves , or from their wicked Associates , whom they make use of as instruments for the accomplishment of their Impieties ; but Providence can strike them in both , and thereby give their Lusts a miscarrying Womb , and dry Breasts . Sometimes God by his Providence cuts off their evil Instruments , and thereby disables them from sinning ; sometimes their instruments for Counsel ; thus Providence by over-ruling Absalom to reject the Counsel of Achitophel , prevents all that Mischief that so wise and so wicked a Statesman might have contrived ; and thereupon he goes and hangs himself . Sometimes he cuts off their Instruments of Execution ; and so God disappointed the hopes of blaspheming Rabshekah , & sent an Angel , that in one night kills almost two hundred thousand of the Assyrians dead on the place . Certainly it is great folly for men upon confidence of their wise and powerful Instruments , to set themselves up against that God , that can , without , or against all Means and Instruments confound their Designs , and frustrate all their Enterprizes ; And as God thus strikes their Instruments ; so sometimes he strikes their Persons , and takes from them the use of those natural Faculties by which they should be enabled to commit their Sins ; sometimes he hides their Wits from them , and besots them ; so he did to the Jews , John 7.30 . They sought to apprehend Jesus : Why , who did hinder them ? Was he not there among them ? Was there not enough of them to do it ? Yes , there was ; but yet they only stand gazing at him , like men besotted , till he escaped away from them . Sometimes God hides away their hands from them , and enfeebles them ; as in Psal. 76.5 . None of the mighty men have found their hands : God had benumm'd them , and laid their hands out of the way when they should have used them . The Sodomites , you know , swarm'd thick about Lot's House , intending Villainy to his Guests , and God smites them with Blindness , that they grope for the door , even at Noon-day . Jeroboam stretcheth out his hand against the Prophet , and God suddenly withers it . This is God's frequent course with wicked men ; when he doth not subdue their Wills , yet he oftentimes subdues their power of sinning ; yea , and possibly , although we have not such frequent instances of it , God may deal thus sometimes with his own Children : Thus he hath threatned , or promised rather to his Church , that he will hedge up her way with Thorns , that she should not be able to break through to her Idols , as formerly she had done ; so you have it in Hos. 2.6 . And indeed it is a great Mercy that God doth take away that power from men that he sees they will only abuse to their own destruction : It is not Cruelty , but Compassion , that chains up mad-men , and takes from them those Swords , Arrows and Fire-brands , that else they would hurl up and down abroad , both to their own and others Mischiefs ; and so it is God's common pity to Sinners , that are very Mad-men , that fetters and chains them up , and lays such a powerful restraint upon them by his Providence , that where their wills are not defective , yet their power to execute Sin , should be . What would wicked men think , if God should now suddenly strike them dumb , or blind , or lame , or impotent ? would they not judge this a heavy Judgment inflicted upon them ? they would so ; and yet believe it , it were better for them that God should strike them dumb upon the place , than that they should ever open their Mouths more to blaspheme and rail at God and his People ; better they were struck blind , than that the Devil and vile Lusts should enter into the Soul by those Casements ; better that God should maim them , than that they should have strength to commit those Sins , that if but will'd , will damn them ; but if executed , will sink their Souls seven-fold deeper into condemnation . Now the Providence of God by taking away ther power , prevents their wickedness , and so mercifully mitigates their condemnation .

Providence raiseth up another Power to oppose sinners . Thirdly , Sometimes God keeps men from the commission of Sin , by raising up another power against that by which the Sinner is to execute his Sin . Thus when Saul would have put Jonathan to Death for breaking a rash Vow that himself had made , God raiseth up the Spirits of the People to rescue him ; and they plainly tell him , Jonathan shall not die . The Jews hated Christ , and would have killed him , but that they feared the People , whom his Miracles had obliged to him , so that they durst not venture upon him till his Hour was come .

Providence sometimes prevents Sin by some seasonable diversion . Fourthly , Sometimes Providence casts in some seasonable diversion that turns them off from the Commission of that Sin that they intended . When they are hotly pursuing their wickedness , Providence starts some other Game for them , and sets them upon some other Work . Thus it fared with Antiochus , in Dan. 11.30 . He sets himself against the Holy Covenant ; but for all his Rage against it , he shall return into his own Land , says God ; for the Ships of Shittim shall come against him , and the Ships of the Romans ; and instead of invading others Dominions , he must return to defend his own ; thus God diverted him from his Design of ruining the Jews . And sometimes where God doth not dry up the Spring of Corruption , yet he turns the streams of it which way he pleaseth : As a skilful Physician , when one part of the Body is oppressed with ill humours , he draws it to another part that is less dangerous ; so God , by his Providence , turns men from the commission of a greater to a lesser Sin . Thus he over-ruled Joseph's Brethren ; they consulted to cast him into a Pit , and there to let him starve , unless he could feed upon his Dream of Wheat-sheaves ; but God by his Providence , so orders it , that Merchants pass by that way , and to them they sell him . There are , I believe , but few men , who if they will examine back their Lives , cannot produce many Instances both of the Devil's Policy , in fitting them with occasions and opportunities of Sin , and of God's Providence , causing some emergent Affairs , some unexpected Action to interpose , and hinder them from those Sins that they purposed .

Providence prevents Sin by removing the Object . Lastly , God sometimes keeps men from Sin , by removing the Object against which they intended to commit it . Thus , when Herod intended to put Peter to death the next morning that very night God sends an Angel , and makes his escape , and so prevents that Sin , and so truly in all A●es God hides away his Children from the fury of ungodly men .

There are doubtless many other various and mysterious Providences , whereby God hinders the Sins of Men ; but these are the most common and most remarkable ways , by shortning their Lives , by lessening their Power , by raising up another Power to oppose them , by diverting another way , and by removing the Objects of their Sins .

The next Thing is , to shew you how God hinders the commission of Sin in a way of Grace ; but I shall leave this till another time , and make some Application of what hath now been spoken .

And First then , See here the sad and woful Estate of wicked men , whom Grace doth not change , but only Providence restrain . A mere restraint from Sin , when the Heart continues fully set and bent upon it , must needs cause torment and vexation ; their own Corruptions urge them forward ; but God's Providence , that meets them , and crosses them at every turn , and that disappointment that they meet with , when they fully resolve upon Sin , causes great vexation of Spirit ; as God will torment them hereafter for their Sins , so he torments them here , by keeping them from their Sins . All the wicked in the world are strangely hampered by God's Providence , as so many Bulls in a Net , that though they struggle , yet they cannot possibly break through ; and by their strugling , they only vex and weary themselves . God doth , as it were , give up the hearts of wicked men to the Devil , only he ties their hands ; let them intend and imagine as much Evil and Mischief as they can , yea , as much as Hell can inspire into them , yet none of these shall execute any of it otherwise than as God permits them . Now , if there be any real pleasure in Sin , it is in the execution of it ; that which men take in plotting and contriving of it , is merely the delight of a Dream and Fancy ; and herein lies the exceeding wretchedness of wicked men , that though Providence almightily hinders them in the execution of Sin , yet Justice will justly punish their intention and plotting of it .

Secondly , This should teach us to adore and magnnfie this Sin-preventing Providence of God . Our Lives , our Estates , yea , whatever is dear & precious to us hitherto , have been secured to us only by his powerful hand , which hath curb'd in the unruly Lusts of men , and kept them from breaking forth into violence , and blood , and rapine . Should God slack the Reins , should he throw them upon the necks of ungodly men , how would Uproars , and Confusions , Murders , and Slaughters overspread the face of the whole Earth , and make the World a Hell above ground . Redemption and Providence are two wonderful Works of God ; by the one he pardons Sin that is committed , and by the other , he prevents Sin , lest it be committed ; both of them are Contrivances of infinite Wisdom , and both of them are unsearchable , and past finding out ; and therefore we ought to ascribe the Glory of both unto God , that hath laid both the Design of Redemption and of Providence for Man's Good , and for Man's Salvation .

Thirdly , If at any time we can recall to mind , as indeed who is there that cannot , that God hath thus by his Providence prevented us from the commission of Sin , how should this oblige us thankfully to own this Mercy of God to us ? May not all of us say , had not God taken away our power , had he not taken away the Objects of our Lusts , had he not diverted us some other way , we had now been deeply engaged in those Sins that the merciful Providence of God hath diverted us from ? He it was that hedged up the broad way with Thorns , that so he might turn us into the narrow way that leads unto eternal Life and Happiness .

Fourthly , Hath God's Providence so many Ways and Methods to hinder the Commission of Sin , why then we may be assured that he will never permit it , but when it shall redound to his own Praise and Glory . It is an excellent Saying of S. Austin , He that is most good will never suffer evil unless he were also most wise ; whereby he is able to bring good out of evil . And therefore when we see wicked men let alone to accomplish their hellish designs , we may then quiet our selves with this , God knows how to make his own advantage out of their wickedness ; he knows how from such Dung and Filth to reap a most fruitful Crop of Glory to himself : The Rage of Man , says the Psalmist , thou wilt restrain , and the residue thereof shall turn to thy praise ; that wickedness which God doth not restrain , he will make redound to his own Praise and Glory .

Fourthly , and lastly , This may establish our hearts in peace , when we see the wickedness of Men most raging and violent , why they cannot sin unless God gives them a power ; as Christ told Pilate , Thou hast no power over me , in John 19.10 . except it be given thee from above . And certainly that God that gives them a power to sin , still keeps a power in his own hands to limit them in their Sins ; and when their Lusts are most unruly , he can say to them , hitherto shall ye go , and here shall your proud Waves be stayed : He stints them and bounds them , and he also can totally restrain them when he pleaseth , and when it shall be most for his own Praise and Glory .

Now as God doth thus keep Men back from the commission of Presumptuous Sins by a strong hand of Providence : So sometimes he doth by his Grace , and this Grace is either meerly restraining , or else it is sanctifying and renewing ; both of them are of very great force and efficacy , by the one he holds Men back from Sin , and by the other he turns them against Sin . You have doubtless heard much concerning Sanctifying and Restraining Grace , but yet that your Notions and Apprehensions of them may be more clear and distinct , I shall give you the difference that there is betwixt these two in several particulars ; How restraining & renewing Grace do differ . they differ in their Subject , they differ in their Essence , and in their manner of Operation .

First , In their Subject . They differ in respect of their subject . Restraining Grace is but common , and it works upon Wicked Men and Reprobates as well as others : Bu● Sanctifying Grace that is special , and belongs only to those who belong themselves to the Election of Grace . Esa● whom the Scripture Notes as the grea● instance of Reprobation , comes out against Jacob with a Troop of Four Thousand Ruffins , intending doubtless to Revenge himself upon him for the loss o● his Birth-Right and Blessing , but at their first meeting God by a secret work so mollifies his Heart , that instead of falling upon him and killing him , he falls upon his Neck and kisses him ; here God restrains him from that Presumptuous Sin of Murder , not in a way of meer External Providence , but with his own Hand immediately turns about his Heart , and by seeing such a company of Cattel bleating and bellowing , so many timorous Men and helpless Children all bowing and supplicating unto him , he turns his Revenge into Compassion , and with much urging receives a Present from him whom before he intended to make a Prey . The same power of restraint God laid upon the Heart of Abimelech that Heathen King , you have it in Geneses 20.6 . when he had taken Sarah , Abraham 's Wife , intending to make her his Wife or Concubine , God tells him in a Dream , I with-held thee from ●inning against me , therefore suffered I ●hee not to touch her : Here was nothing visible to hinder Abimelech from so great ● Wickedness , but God invisibly wrought upon his heart , and unhinged his wicked Desires ; now from the instances of Esau and Abimelech we may clearly collect how Restraining Grace differs both from Restraining Providence , and also from Sanctifying Grace : From Providence it differs , because usually when God Providentially restrains from Sin , he doth it by some visible apparent means that doth not work by bringing any change or alteration on the Heart , but only by ●aying an External Check upon Men's Actions , but now by Restraining Grace God deals in a secret way with the very Heart of a Sinner , & though he doth not change the nature of his Heart , yet he alters the present frame and disposition of it , and takes away the desire of committing those Sins that yet it doth not Mortifie ; and from Sanctifying Grace it differs also , in that God vouchsafes Restraining Grace to Wicked Men , as you have heard , but none partake of Sanctifying Grace besides the Children of God and the Remnant according to Election those whom he predestinates them he also calls , that is , them he Sanctifies , as yo● have it in Rom. 8.30 . Election & Sanctification are of the self same bredth , Election● the cause of Sanctification , & Sanctificatio● is a sign of Election : Those whom Go● will bring to himself in Glory he causeth a double separation to pass upo● them , the one from Eternity , when h● calls them out from the mass of tho● that he leaves to perish in their Sins ; an● the other in Time , when those whom he hath set apart for himself by Election , he brings home to himself by Conversion : And therefore whatever measure of Restraining Grace God may a●ford to Wicked Men and Reprobates , ye● Sanctifying Grace is the fruit only of Election , and the portion only of tho● who are Elected . And that is the fir● difference .

In their Nature & Essence . Secondly , They differ also in thei● Nature and Essence . Sanctifying Grac● is a Habit wrought in the Soul by th● Spirit of God , called therefore a writin● of the Law on the Heart , and a putting God's fear into our inward parts , Jer. 31. 33. And St. John terms it , a Seed that remains , John 1.9 . These Expressions clearly denote it to be an internal Principle , or Habit , deeply rooted and fixed in the Soul , and whatever Holy Actions a Saint performs , as they are caused by a Divine influence without him , so they flow also from a Holy Principle within him . Hence our Saviour tells us , in Mark 12.35 . That a good Man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth good things ; that is , out of that inward Habit and Principle of Grace that the Holy Ghost hath wrought in him in the work of Regeneration . But Restraining Grace hath no such Habit and Principle implanted in the Soul , but is only a Merciful Actual influence from God , hindering the commission of those Sins to which Men's Natural Corruptions make them enclined : in brief , Sanctifying Grace is a Quality wrought in us , but Restraining Grace is only an Action flowing from God .

Thirdly , In the manner of their Operation . Sanctifying and Restraining Grace differ in their manner of Working and Operation ; and here we may observe a Four fold difference .

Sanctifying Grace destroys Sin , Restraining Grace only Imprisons it . First , Sanctifying Grace keeps the Soul from Sin by destroying of it , but Restraining Grace keeps the Soul from Sin only by imprisoning of it . God many times shuts up the sins of those in Prison , whom notwithstanding he will at last shut up in Hell : It is sanctifying Grace alone that can do execution upon them ; restraining grace may debar them of their liberty , but it is only Sanctifying Grace can deprive them of their Life . There may appear but little difference betwixt the Conversation of a Child of God , whom Special Grace doth Sanctifie , and one in a state of Nature whom common Grace doth only Restrain ; doth the one walk blamelessly without offence , doth he avoid the grosser Pollutions of the World , so doth the other ; a Star is not more like a Star , than these Meteors may be like them : But now here lies the difference , Restraining Grace only ties the Hands , but Sanctifying Grace stabs the old Man to the Heart : It is one thing to bind a Thief to a Tree , and another thing to Nail him fast to the Cross . Restraining Grace only binds Corruption fast that it cannot stir , not outwardly , but still it hath as much strength as ever : But now Sanctifying Grace that Crucifies it , and Nails it to the Cross of Christ where it weakens and languisheth and hangs a dying Body of Death . The Earth is as dry and hard in a frosty Winter as it is in a parching Summer , yet there 's a great deal of difference in the cause of it , in Summer the Sun dries up the moisture , and in Winter the Frost binds it in : Truly Restraining and Sanctifying Grace are for all the World like Frost and Sun ; the ways of those who have only a Restraint laid upon them , may be altogether as fair and clean , as the ways of those that are Sanctified are , but there 's a great difference in the cause , Sanctifying Grace dries up the Filth and Corruption in the Heart of the one , but Restraining Grace only frezeth in and binds up the Filth and Corruption of the other .

Secondly , Sanctifying Grace strikes at the Sins of the heart , Restraining Grace only hinders the Sins of the Life . Sanctifying Grace strikes especially at the Sins of the Heart , but Restraining Grace usually only hinders the Sins of the Life . An Unregenerate Man , though never so Moral , hunts his Sins only in purlues , as soon as they are gotten within the Pale he ceaseth his pursuit . It is usually the highest care and upshot of a Moral Man's endeavours to keep his Lusts from boiling over , and raising Smoak and Ashes about him , and if he can but obtain this , let the Heart be brim full of Sin , let the thoughts soak and stew in Malicious , Unclean , Covetous , Designs and Contrivances , he never opposeth or laments them ; a meer Restraint walks only round about the outward Man , and if it meets with any Lust strugling abroad , it drives it in again into the Heart , but for those Sins that lie Pent up there , it seldom molests , and never subdues them : The Heart may indulge it self in vain , filthy , destructive , and pernicious Thoughts , it may set brooding over Cockatrice-Eggs till it hatch them into Serpents , and in them be stung to Death ; it may toss a Sin to and fro in the Fancy , and thereby make some kind of recompence to the Devil for not committing of it ; and yet this Man be only under a powerful restraint from God's Restraining Grace . But now Sanctifying Grace doth more especially oppose the Sins of the Heart and of the inward Man , for there is its Seat and Residence in the Heart : Restraining Grace watcheth without , but true Grace dwells within . And as Christ speaks of the Church of Pergamos , it dwells there where Satan's Seat is , it rules in the midst of its Enemies , and it is engaged so to do for its own security , that it may still crush them as they arise in the Heart . Now from this particular we may be help'd in Judging , whether our abstaining from Sin be only from common Restraining Grace , or from Sanctifying and Renewing Grace : See what Sins they are that you most of all labour to beat down , do you strive only against the Sins of your Lives , and not against the Sins of your Hearts that are the Spring and Fountain of the other ? Are you content when you have beaten your Corruptions from the out-works , and driven them in , where they do not rage so furiously as they have done ; whereas before they sallied forth at pleasure , and made havock of your Souls , and wounded your Consciences , now they are Pent up in a narrower room and compass ? Doth this content you ; do you think it enough to lay close Siege to your Corruptions by Conviction and legal Terrours , and to shut them up , that they may no more break forth as formerly they have done , to the gross defilement of your Lives , if this be all , then know , this is no more than what a meer common Restraint may effect upon you , without any work of Sanctifying Grace upon the Heart . True Grace when it beats back Sin , it follows it and pursues it into the Heart , and there searcheth for it , and if it sees it but breath in a Thought , or stir in a Desire , presently it falls upon it and destroys it .

Sanctifying Grace sets the will against sin , but restraining Grace only awakens the Conscience . Thirdly , Sanctifying Grace when it keeps a Soul from sin , it always engageth the will against it , but common and restraining Grace only awakens and rouzeth up the Conscience against it ; the Will and the Conscience are two leading faculties of the Soul ; the one commands what shall be done , and the other informs what ought to be done , and all the rest of the faculties and affections of the Soul take part and side with these two ; now in a Godly Man these two are at an agreement , what Conscience prompts , the Will commands ; and the inferior faculties are already to execute : Sanctifying Grace , that works immediatly , and specially upon the Will , and makes a mighty change there ; that , whereas before Conversion Man's Will is so utterly depraved , that it can like nothing but sin , after Grace hath touched it , and mightily turn'd it about , it cannot now any longer give its full and free consent to the commission of any sin ; if such a one sins he doth it truly and properly against his Will , as the Apostle speaks in the Romans 7.15 . Rom. 7.15 . What I do I allow not ; now a wicked Man may sin against his Conscience , but it is impossible , that he should ever sin against his Will , that is continually set upon sin ; and were it not , that God sometimes raiseth up natural Conscience in him to oppose his corrupt Will , he would every moment rush into the most damning impieties without any of the least regret or sense of it ; when the Devil presents a sin to the embraces of the Will , and when the Will closeth with it , and all the faculties of the Soul are ready to commit it , God sends in Conscience among them , what Conscience art thou asleep ! seest thou not how the Devil and thine own devilish heart are now plotting and contriving thine Eternal ruin ? Now this rouzeth Conscience , and makes it storm and threaten , and hurl Fire-brands into the face of sin , while it lies in the very embraces of the Will , and though it cannot change the Will from loving of it , yet it frights the Will from committing of it ; this is the most usual way restraining Grace takes for the prevention of sin , by sending in Conscience to make strong and vigorous oppositions against it ; there are none of us here , but through Divine Grace , have been kept from many sins , that we were in great danger through the corruptions of our own hearts to have committed ; sin hath been conceived by us , but God hath stifled and strangled it in the Womb ; would you know now whether this hath proceeded from God's Restraining or from God's Sanctifying Grace ; why then make a judgment according to this rule , where restraining Grace only resists and hinders sin , it doth it by setting one faculty and affection of the Soul against another ; but where sanctifying Grace hinders it , it sets the same faculty and affection of the Soul against it self ; restraining Grace sets one affection against another , Conscience against Will , the fear of Hell against the love of Sin , hellish terrors against sinful pleasures , God's threatnings against the Devil's flatteries , it martials up these , and so enters the combat ; here are bandyings of one power of the Soul against another , but now the Will that is entirely on sins part , and if Conscience prevails and pulls away a beloved lust from the embraces of the Will , the Sinner parts with it very heavily and unwillingly , following it as Phaltiel did Michal weeping , tho he durst not make resistance ; but now when sanctifying Grace opposeth and hinders sin , it sets the same faculty and affection of the Soul against it self , Will against Will , and Love against Love , Desire against Desire ; he wills the commission of sin , it is true , but yet at the same time he wills the mortification of it ; he loves to gratifie his sin , but yet at the same time he wills the crossing of it too ; he desires to enjoy that pleasure and contentment , that he fansies he may take in sin , and yet he desires at the same time to destroy it ; here is one and the same faculty bandying against it self , and the reason of this is , because a Child of God hath two Principles in every single faculty ; there is in him a mixture of Flesh and Spirit ; a carnal part that sides with sin , and a spiritual part that always contradicts and opposeth it , and these two are spread over his whole Soul , and are mingled with every power and faculty thereof ; so that he can neither do the evil nor do the good , that he would do without contradiction , strife , and reluctancy ; now try your selves by this when you are tempted to sin , what is it that resists it ? Is it your Will , or is it only your Conscience ? are you only frighted from it , doth the fear of Hell overcome the love of sin ; why ? all this may be from a mere restraint in those , who are altogether unacquainted with the power of sanctifying Grace ; this is the symptom and Character of a gracious Soul , that when it is most inclinable unto sin , yet at the same time is most averse from it , when it most wisheth the accomplishment of sin ; yet even then it strongly wishes the subduing and mortifying of that sin ; I know this appears a Riddle and a strange Paradox to wicked Men , but those who have any true sense of the work of Grace upon their own hearts , know it to be a truth , and rejoyce in the experiences that they have of it .

Fourthly and lastly , Restraining and sanctifying Grace differ in the motives and arguments , that they make use of for the resisting of sin ; there are two general Topicks or common places , whence all arguments against sin are drawn , and those are the Law and the Gospel , both of these administer such weapons , that if rightly used , are very effectual for the beating down of sin , and commonly restraining Grace useth those only that are borrowed from the Law ; it urgeth the command , it thunders the curse , it brandisheth the sword of Justice , and makes reports of nothing but Hell and eternal Damnation , and such like arguments that scare Men from the committing of their sins , though still they love them ; now sanctifying Grace though it also makes a most profitable use of these very arguments , yet it chiefly useth more mild and more ingenious motives drawn from the love of God , from the Death of Christ , from the comforts of the Holy Ghost , and these though they strike softer , yet they wound deeper ; now hereby also you may give a guess , whether your abstaining from sin , be merely from restraining or from sanctifying Grace , observe what weapons you use ? What considerations do over-awe your hearts ? Are they such as are drawn only from the Law , and the sad reflections of the end and issue of sin ? That it brings Shame , and Death , and Hell ; must you run down to Hell every time a temptation comes to fetch arguments thence to oppose against your corruptions ? can you no where else quench the fiery Darts of the Devil , unless it be in that Lake of Fire ? if this be all ( though this too is well ) yet know if it be all , this is no more than what restraint and common Grace may perform ; it is the proper character of restraining Grace , to keep Men back from the commission of sin only by dread and fear of punishment ; but now sanctifying Grace , that especially betakes it self to Gospel Arguments , and considers how disingenious it is to sin against a reconciled and a gracious Father , against a crucified and a bleeding Saviour , against a patient and long suffering Spirit , and heaps up many such like ingenious arguments that work kindly upon the heart ; he leads every temptation to the Cross of Christ , and there shews it his Saviour hanging and bleeding and can I commit this sin , that hath drawn so much blood from my Saviour to expiate it , and would draw so much blood from my Conscience to perpetrate it ? did he die to free me from the condemnation of it , and shall I wilfully rush into the commission of it ? no , O Lord , thy love withholds me , I cannot do this thing and sin against so rich , so free , and infinite Mercy and Goodness , that thou dayly extendest towards me . Thus true Grace usually teacheth a Child of God to argue against his sins ; and this keeps him from the commission of those sins , that others rising up against them , only from the terrors and threatnings of the Law , and other such dreadful considerations , fall into notwithstanding ; a Wooll-pack sooner damps a bullet than a Stone-wall ; and truly , sof● arguments taken from the Gospel , from the love of God , from the death o● Christ , from the patience and long suffering of the Spirit ; these soft arguments sooner damp a temptation and resist a corruption , than more rigid and severe ones will when alone used by themselves .

Now having thus in general shewed you the difference betwixt sanctifying and restraining Grace ; I shall now descend to more particular considerations of those ways and methods that God useth in keeping Men back from Sin by his special and sanctifying Grace ; and here I shall premise this , That whatever Sin God doth , I mean by his sanctifying Grace , prevent his own Children from the commission of , he doth it by exciting the inward Principle of Grace , to the actual use and exercise of it ; there is a two-fold Grace , always necessary to keep the best Christians from Sin ; Habitual and Exciting Grace , and God makes use of the one to quicken and stir up the other ; he makes use of exciting Grace to quicken habitual Grace , that else would lie sluggish and dormant in the Soul . Habitual Grace that denominates the Soul alive unto God , but yet it is no otherwise alive than a Man in a Swoon is , it is exciting Grace , that alone can enable it to perform the Functions and Offices of Life ; in the deepest Winter , there is life in the seed that lies buried under ground , but yet it acts not till the Sun's influence draws it forth , and then it heaves and shoves away the Earth that covered it , and spreads it self into the beauties of a Flower : So is it here , inherent habitual Grace is an immortal seed , and it is but a seed till the influences of the approaching and exciting Grace of God awaken it , and chafe it's benumbed vertue , and then it stirs and thrusts away all that dung and filth of corruptions under which it lay buried , and then it flows forth into actual Grace ; habitual and exciting Grace must both concurr to the producing of actual Grace , as necessarily as there must be the concurrence both of the heat of the Sun , and of life in the seed to produce a Flower ; now by God's exciting , inherent , habitual Grace in the Soul , he keeps Men from sinning two ways .

First , by prevention , and secondly by suppression of Sin . First , hereby he prevents and excludes those Sins , that wer● we not employed in the exercise of Grac● we would commit ; when the Soul is constantly employed in holy and spiritua● affairs , Sin hath then neither room no● opportunity to put forth it self ; it is kept out from the thoughts when they are busied in holy Meditation , it is kep● out from the affections , when they are set upon heavenly Objects , it is kept ou● from the life and conversation , wher● the duties both of the general and particular calling are duely performed in their respective seasons ; the Apostle exhorts us in Ephesians 4.27 . not to give place to the Devil ; truly , when God's exciting Grace , quickens our inherent Grace into continual exercise , when every faculty is filled with holy actings , and every season with holy duties , the Devil can have no place to tempt , nor corruption to stir ; it is the best security God can give from the commission of Sin , to quicken to the performance of Duty ; when we pray , or meditate , or attend upon publick Ordinances , we ought to bless God for his exciting Grace , whereby we have not only performed a duty , but also escaped some soul and notorious Sin , that we might have committed had we not been so holily employed ; we who are here now present before the Lord this day , had we neglected this present opportunity , who of us knows , what horrid temptations and foul sins , we might have been exposed to in our own Houses , which in the House of God we have avoided . David when he walked idly upon the roof of his House , he lies open to the Snares of the Devil , and sins foully ; had he then been at his Harp or Psalms , he might thereby have driven the Evil Spirit from himself , as formerly he did from his Master Saul ; running Streams preserve themselves pure and clean , when standing Pools soon grow corrupt and noisome , and venomous creatures breed in them ; so is it with the heart , whilest God's exciting and quickning Grace , puts it upon continual act , it is preserved from corruption ; but when once it grows sluggish , and doth not freely flow forth into the actings of Grace and performance of Duties , the spawn of all manner of sin breeds there , and filthy lusts crawl to and fro in it without any disturbance ; and therefore we should continually pray , that God would vouchsafe us the quickning influence of his Spirit , that he would fill our sails with that wind that blows where it listeth ; arise , O North Wind , and come thou South Wind , and blow upon our Gardens , that the Spices thereof may flow forth , for if the Spices do not , the stench will .

Secondly , As God by his exciting Grace hinders those Sins that might arise in the Heart , so he also suppresseth those Sins that do arise . There is the greatest contrariety imaginable betwixt inherent Sin , and inherent Grace ; when the one is vigorous , the other languisheth ; when the one is acted , the other grows dull and sluggish : Now both these opposite Principles have their seat and abode in the same Heart , and both of them are in continual expectation of exciting influence to call them forth into act . Indwelling Corruption that is usually rouzed up by Temptation , when it stirs in the heart , and is ready to break forth in the life ; Habitual Grace , though it looks on , yet is of it self so feeble , that it can make no opposition till a kindly influence from the Spirit of God calls out some particular Grace that is directly contrary to that Sin that stirs , and this resists and subdues it . This Method God used in keeping the Apostle from sinning , 2 Cor. 12. He was there under a sharp and pungent Temptation ; that is therefore called a Thorn in the Flesh , v. 7. Satan buffets , and the Apostle prays ; and God answers , My Grace is sufficient for thee : My Grace is sufficient , not thy Grace ; that Grace that is in thee , is but weak and helpless ; yea , a very nothing , if I withdraw my influence from it ; but that quickning Grace that flows from me , that alone is sufficient to remove the Temptation , and to prevent the Sin . Why , now while God's exciting Grace work'd upon the Apostle's inherent Grace , this Temptation , this Thorn in the Flesh only made him more watchful , and more industrious against it ; but if God should have suspended this his Influence , this Thorn in the Flesh would immediately , notwithstanding all his Grace , sadly have wounded his Conscience , by the commission of some great and foul Sin . Now , as all manner of Sin lies couched in that Body of Sin that we bear about with us ; so all manner of Grace lies couched in that Principle of Grace that God implants in his own Children . Now , when the Devil by his Temptations calls forth some particular Sin , God also at the same time by his exciting Grace calls forth a particular Grace , to hinder the commission of that Sin . Thus , when they are tempted to Pride , God calls forth Humility to prick that swelling , puffing Bladder ; when they are tempted to Wrath and Passion , he stirs up Meekness ; when to murmuring and repining against the dispensations of God , he puts Patience upon its perfect work . Briefly , there is no Sin whatever that the Devil can by his Temptation stir up in the Heart , but God also can stir up a contrary Grace to it , to quell and master it . This is the Method of God's exciting Grace in the preventing of Sin , that when the Devil calls forth a particular Corruption out of the Stock of Corruption , God calls forth a particular Grace , contrary to it , from the Stock of Grace . But yet there are some particular Graces that are more especially employed about this Service , and which God doth most frequently exercise , and set on work to keep his Children from the commission of Sin .

First , God hinders the commission of sin by keeping up the lively and vigorous actings of Faith . Indeed if Faith fail , all other Graces must fail by consequence . Faith is the Soul's Steward , that fetcheth in Supplies of Grace from Christ , in whom is the Treasure of it , and distributes them to all the other Graces of the Soul . Therefore when Christ tells St. Peter , Satan had desired to sift him by his Temptations , lest he should be thereby discouraged and dejected , presently he adds , in v. 32. But I have prayed for thee , that thy Faith fail not : And wherefore his Faith , rather than any other Grace , but because other Graces must take their Lot with Faith , and must be strong or weak , victorious or languishing , as Faith is ; and therefore it is called the Shield of Faith , Ephes. 6.6 . Now the Office of a Shield is to defend , not only the Body , but the rest of the Armour also ; and so doth Faith , when it is dexterously managed , it keeps both the Soul , and its Graces also from the Attempts of the Devil . I might be large here in shewing you how Faith preserves from Sin ; as , by deriving vertue and strength from the Death and Blood of Christ ; by pleading God's Engagements and Promises to tread Satan under our feet ; by urging and importuning Christ to fulfill in us the end of his coming into the World , which was to destroy the Works of the Devil ; and many such Ways I might name , by which Faith prevents Sin , and destroys it ; but waving them , I shall only mention two Particulars , wherein this energy of Faith in keeping Men from Sin , is the most conspicuous .

First , Faith preserves from Sin , by bringing in , and presenting to the Soul eternal Rewards and Punishments ; and that 's the peculiar Office of Faith : These indeed are future unto Sense , but they are present unto Faith ; for Faith is the substance of things not seen , Heb. 11.1 . It gives them a Being before they are ; and what we hope for or fear , as to come , by Faith it is enjoyed , or felt , as already present . Why now , what a mighty advantage is this to preserve men from sinning ? Would Sinners treat with the Devil , or hearken to a Temptation , if they should now see the whole World on flame , Angels hastning them to Judgment , and Christ upon his Throne ; here Heaven , to receive and crown them ; there Hell , with all its horrours , to torment them ; would any of you dare to sin , if all this were before your eyes ? Why , believe it , when Faith acts lively , all this is as truly present to the Soul , as it is certain it shall once be ; and therefore no more than we would commit a Sin if Sentence were now passing upon us , either of Absolution , or of eternal Damnation at the Judgment-Seat of God , no more shall we sin while Faith sets these things evidently before our eyes , and makes them as real to us as they are sure .

Secondly , Faith preserves from sinning , by representing that God , who must hereafter be our Judge , to be now our Spectator and Observer . It is only an Eye of Faith that can discover things future as present , and things spiritual as real : Why now , God he is a spiritual Being , and therefore is invisible to the dull eyes of Flesh ; but the quick Eye of Faith , that can see him who is invisible ; as it was said of Moses , Heb. 11.27 . it fixeth its eye upon the all-seeing eye of God , and fills the Soul with awful Thoughts of God's Omni-presence and Omnisciency , that all things are naked and bare before him , in whose company we are where-ever we are , and with whom we have to do whatever we are doing : Why now , consider with your selves , Would I commit such or such a Sin , to which possibly you are tempted , if some grave person were in the room with you whom you did much respect ? And what , shall the Presence of a mortal Man keep you from sinning , and shall not the Presence of the Great God much more ? Shall we dare to sin , when God's eye is fixed upon us , when he views not only our outward Actions , but also our inward Thoughts , clearer than we can see the faces one of another ? It was the wise Counsel that a Heathen-Man gave to a Scholar of his , That if he would preserve himself from doing any thing that was undecent , he should suppose some sober and reverend man present with him ; and this would keep him from doing that which he would be ashamed to do before him . Truly , we need not make any such Supposition ; the great and holy God is present with us in reality , and the eye of Faith discovers him so to be ; he is always looking on us : yea , always looking into us ; and certainly this , to one that can exercise the discerning eye of Faith , will be a more effectual means to keep a man from Sin , than if all the eyes of Men and Angels were upon him .

Secondly , As the exercise of Faith , so the sprightly and vigorous exercise of Divine Love is an excellent Preservative against Sin . Love will not willingly do any thing that may offend and grieve the Object loved . Love , it is an assimilating Affection , it is the very Cement that joyns God and the Soul together in the same Spirit , and makes them to be of one heart , and of one mind ; it is the Load-stone of the Soul , that toucheth all other Affections , and makes them stand heaven-ward : When once God hath wrought the Love of himself in our hearts , this will constrain us to love what he loves , and to hate what he hates ; Sin is the only thing that God hates , and those that love him will not , cannot but hate Sin ; their love to God will constrain them to do it , Psalm 97 7. Ye that love the Lord hate evil . And certainly the hatred of evil is the best security against the committing of it ; will any one take a Toad or Serpent into his bosome to lodge it there ? Truly as utterly impossible it is while the Exciting Grace of God , stirs up and quickens our Love to him , that we should ever embrace a vile lust and lodge it in our hearts since our sight of the beauty of Holiness hath made it ugly , and our love to God hath made it hateful .

Thirdly , To mention no more , A Holy Fear and Caution least we should Sin is a most excellent preservative against Sin . None are so safe as those that are least secure , fear is the best preservative of Grace , whereas those that are rash and venturous and confident of their own strength , run themselves into many Temptations , and come off with wounded and smarting Consciences . Stand in awe , says , the Psalmist , and Sin not , Psalm 4.4 . The timorous and trembling Christian stands firmest , because such a one is apt upon every occasion to suspect his own strength , and to call in God's . And indeed , when we consider the treachery of our own Hearts , and the subtilty of the Devil , this Holy Fear and Jealousie is no more than is needful , and it is less than sufficient . A Man that is to wade thorough a deep River , will first try his Footing before he takes his step : Why , we are to wade thorough the depths of Satan , as the Apostle calls them , and , certainly it is but a requisite caution first to try our ground before we venture upon it , to look about and consider whether such and such an Action be grounded upon a Command , and secured to us by a Promise , whether if we do it we shall not lay our selves open to such and such Temptations , or if we do lie open to them , whether or not we are in God's way , and may expect his Protection and Preservation : Truly such circumspection as this is will prove our best security , and though we are not able by all our own strength and diligence to preserve our selves , yet when God sees us so industriously solicitous to avoid Sin , he will then come in by his Almighty Grace that helps not the Sloathful , but the Laborious , and he will keep us from those Sins that we cannot keep our selves from .

Now for the Application of this , if it be so that it is the Almighty Power of God only that can keep us from Sin , This may then be Convictive of that Errour that now a Days is very rife in the World , that ascribes our preservation in our standing , not so much to the Almighty Grace of God , as to the Liberty and Freedom of our own Wills . Truly this is an Opinion that proceeds much from the Pride and Stomach of such who are loath to be too much beholding to the Grace of God for their Salvation . It is true , no Man Sins , nor no Man abstains from Sin , but it is with his Will , but yet still there is an Almighty Influence from God , an Influence of common Providence to the Wicked , without which they could not so much as Will , and an Influence of Special Grace to the Godly , without which they could not abstain from Sin : It is God , saith the Apostle , that works in us both to will and to do of his own good pleasure ; it is not , whether or not the Will be free in abstaining from Sin that is acknowledged , but whether the motion of the Will be principally and primarily from God , or from it self ; and this the Apostle concludes to be from God . From him it is that we both will and do ; he gives the first beginning , he adds the progress , and he concludes . He first begets Grace , then he encreaseth it , and at last he crowns it . All is from God .

Secondly , This may instruct us to whom we ought to ascribe the Praise and the Glory of our Preservation from those foul and horrid Sins that we see others daily fall into . Not unto us , O Lord , not unto us , but unto thy Name be all the Praise and Glory . We have Natures as sinful as the worst of Men ever had , and that such sinful Natures should not produce as wicked Lives , whence proceeds this , but only from the Miracle of God's Grace , for it is a Miracle , that when the Fountain is as bitter , when our Hearts are as bad as the Hearts of others , yet the streams should not be so ? Whence is it , since we have the same Corrupt Hearts with Cain and Judas , and all the Wicked Rabble in the World , whence is it that we have not committed the same Impieties with them , or worse than they have done ? Why , God hath either Restrained or Sanctified us , But Sanctifying Grace is not enough , for whence is it that we have not been Drunken with Noah , Adulterers or Murderers with David , Abjurers of Christ with Peter ? are we more Holy than they , or are we more Sanctified than they ? No , it is only our gracious God's vouchsafing to us a constant influence of Exciting Grace , that hath thus kept us from those Sins into which he suffers Wicked Men to fall , and not only them , but sometimes his own dear Children too : It is not a difference in our Natures , it is not a difference from inherent Grace within us , that makes this difference in our Lives , but it is only a difference from the unaccountable Exciting Influencing Grace of God , there lies the difference . Well then , let not the strong Man glory in his strength , but let him that glorieth glory in the Lord , for he is our strength and our deliverer . What have we that we have not received , and if we have received , why do we boast as though we had not received ? it is not what we have of our selves , but it is what we have received from God , and what we do daily receive in a way of special influence , that makes us to differ from the Vilest and most Profligate Sinners in the World , and therefore let us ascribe the Glory of all to the Almighty Powerful Grace of God .

Lastly , To shut up all , If our preservation from Sin be from God , beware then how you provoke him to withdraw and suspend the influence of his Grace , whereby you have been preserved , and still are : Indeed if we belong to him , he will never so far depart from us as utterly to forsake us , but yet he may so far depart from us , as that we may have no comfortable sense of his presence , nor no visible supports from his Grace , we may be left a naked and destitute Prey to every Temptation , and fall into the commission of those Sins out of which we may never be able to recover our selves to our former Strength , Comfort , and Stability ; we may fall to the breaking of our Bones , and we may rise agai● possibly , but it will be to the breaking of our Hearts . So much for this time and for this subject .

FINIS .

OF PARDON AND Forgiveness of Sin , IN FOUR SERMONS ON ISAIAH xliii . 25.

By EZEKIEL HOPKINS , Late Lord Bishop of London-Derry .

LONDON , Printed by Tho. Warren , for Nathanael Ranew , at the King's Arms in St. Paul's Church-yard , 1693.

OF PARDON AND Forgiveness of SIN , &c. ISAIAH xliii . 25.

● , even I am he that blotteth out thy Transgressions for my own sake , and will not remember thy sins .

IN the foregoing Verses , Introduction . we have a heavy Charge drawn up against the People of the Jews ; in which they stand charged both with sins of Omission and of Commission : By the one , they shewed themselves weary of God ; and by the other , God became weary of them . Thou hast not called upon me , ●or brought me thy burnt-offerings , nor honoured me with thy Sacrifices , but thou hast been weary of me , O Israel , as it is in 22 , 23. Verses . Thou thought'st my Commands grievous , and my Service bu● thensome ; and though , as thou a● my Sworn Servant , I might comp● thee to work ; yet I have born wi● thy sloth , and suffered my Work to ● undone . I have not caused thee to ser● with Offerings , nor wearied thee with 〈◊〉 cense , as it is in the 24th Verse . Na● as if so be rejecting my Service , h● not been Indignity enough , thou ha● even brought me into a kind of Serv●tude , even me thy Lord and Maste● thou hast wearied my Patience , th● hast loaded my Omnipotency ; thou h● made me serve with thy sins , thou h● wearied me with thine Iniquities , Ver. 2● And what could we now in reason expect should be the close of so heavy a● Accusation , but only as heavy a Doo● and Sentence . Thou hast brought m● no Sacrifices , therefore I will mak● thee a Sacrifice to my Wrath ; tho● hast not called upon me , and when tho● doest call , I will not answer ; thou ha● wearied me with thy Sins , and I wil● weary thee with my Plagues . Bu● there 's no such expected severity follows hereupon ; but I , even I am he tha● ●lotteth out thy Transgressions for my own ●ike , and will not remember thy sins . The ●ike Parallel place we have concerning Ephraim , Isa. 51.17 , 18. He went on frowardly in the way of his own Heart . Well , ( says God ) I have seen his ways , and what with the froward , shall I shew my self froward ? No ; but , I have seen his ways , and I will heal him . Here 's the Prerogative of free Grace ; to infer Pardon there where the guilty themselves , can infer only their own Execution and Punishment . It is the guise of Mercy , to make strange and abrupt Inferences from sin to Pardon .

The words are a Gracious Proclamation of Forgiveness , or an Act of Pardon passed on the Sins of Men ; and contain in them three things .

First , Here is the Person that gives out this Pardon , and that is God ; accented here by a vehement Ingemination , I , even I am he .

Secondly , Here is the Pardon it self ; which for the greater Confirmation of our Faith and Hope , is redoubled : I , even I am he that blotteth out thy Transgressions , and will not remember th● sins .

Thirdly , Here are the Motives , or impulsive cause that prevailed with God , thi● to proclaim pardon unto guilty Malefactor● and that is for his own sake . I am h● that blotteth out thy Transgressions for m● own sake .

1. As for the first particular , I , even ● am he ; we may observe , That God seems more to triumph in the Glory o● his pardoning Grace and Mercy , tha● he doth in any other of his Attributes I , even I am he : Such a stately Preface must needs usher in somewhat wherein God and his Honour is much advanced . Is it therefore , I am he that spread forth the Heavens , and martial'd all their Host , that hang up the Earth in the midst of the Air , that breath'd forth all the Creatures upon the face of it , that poured out the great Deeps , and measur'd them all in the hollow of my hand , that ride upon the wings of the Wind , and make the Clouds the Dust of my Feet . This though it might awe and amuse the hearts of Men , yet God counts it not his chiefest Glory ; but , I , even I am he , that blotteth out Transgression , and forgive Iniquities . So we find , when God condescended to shew Moses his Glory , he proclaims , not the Lord Great and Terrible , that formed all things by the Word of his Mouth , and can destroy all things by the Breath of his Nostrils : No , but he passeth before him with a still voice , and proclaims himself to be , The Lord , the Lord God Gracious and Merciful , long-suffering , and abundant in goodness and truth , forgiving iniquity , transgression , and sin . So that when God would be seen in his chiefest State and Glory , he reveals himself to be a sin-pardoning God ; I , even I am he that blotteth out thy Transgressions , and will not remember thy sins .

2. As for the pardon it self , Blotting out of sin , implys two things . that is expressed in two things , I am he that blotteth out , and will not remember . Blotting out implys ,

First , That sin is written . That our Transgressions are written down , and written they are in a two-fold Book ; the one is in the Book of God's Remembrance , which he blots out when he justifies a sinner : The other is the Book of our own Consciences which he blots out when he gives us peace and assurance ; and oftentimes these follow one upon the other : When God blots his Remembrance-Book in Heaven , that blot diffuseth and spreads it self even to the Book of Conscience , and blots out all that is written there also . Man blots his Conscience by committing sin , but God blots it by pardoning it : He lays a blot of Christ's Bloud upon a blot of our guilt , and this is such a blot as leaves the Conscience of a sinner purer and cleaner than it found it .

Secondly , Blotting out of Transgression implies a legal discharge of the Debt . A Book that is once blotted and crossed , stands void in Law ; whatever the Sum and Debts were before , yet the crossing of the Book signifies the payment of the Debt . So is it here , I will blot out thy Transgressions ; that is , I will acquit thee of all thy Debts , I will never charge them upon thee , I will dash them all out , I will not leave so much as one Item , not one sin legible against thee . This is the proper meaning of this Expression and Notion of blotting out of Transgression and Sin . And this is one thing that pardon of sin is expressed by .

It follows in the next words , and I will not remember thy sins . Not that there is truly any forgetfulness in God ; no , his Memory retains every sin we have committed surer and firmer than if all our sins were written in Leaves of Brass ; but God speaks here as he doth elsewhere frequently in Scripture , by a gracious Condescension , and after the manner of Men , and it is to be interpreted only by the Effects , I will not remember their sins ; that is , I will deal so mercifully with them , as if indeed I did not remember the least of their Provocations , I will be to them as one that hath utterly forgotten all their injuries . So , that this , not remembring of sin , denies not the eminent Act of God's Knowledge , but only the transient Act of his Justice , and is no more than his promising not to punish sin ; as if God had said , I will not be avenged on them , nor punish them for their sins .

And here we may see what abundant security God gives his People , that they shall never be impleaded for those sins which once they have attained the pardon of ; they are blotted out of his Book of Remembrance : and that they may not fear he will accuse them without Book , he tells them , That they are utterly forgotten , and shall never be remembred by him against them any more .

Thirdly , Consider the impulsive cause , that moves God's Hand , as it were , to blot out our Transgressions ; and that is not any thing without himself , but ( says God ) I will do it for my own sake . This admits of a two-fold sence , efficient and final .

First , For my own sake : That is , because it is my pleasure : I will do it , because I will do it . And indeed this is the Royal Prerogative of God alone , to render his Will for his Reason ; for because his Will is altogether Soveraign , and Independent , that must needs be most reasonable that he wills . If any should question , Why the Lord past by fallen Angels , and stoopt so low as to take up Fallen Man ? And why among Men , he hath rejected many Wise and Noble , and hath chosen those that are mean and contemptible ? Why he hath gathered up , and lodged in his own Bosom , those that wallowed in the filth and defilement of the worst sins , when others are left to perish under far less guilt ? The most reasonable Answer that can be given of all , is this , I have done it for my own sake , I have done it because it is my Will and Pleasure to do it ; even the same Reason that God gave unto Moses : I will be gracious , because I will be gracious , and I will shew mercy , because I will shew mercy , Exod. 33.19 . Which was the same Answer our Saviour gave to himself , Luke 10.21 . Even so Father , because so it seemed good in thy sight .

Secondly , For my own sake , we may take it in a final sense , that is , I will do it , because of that great Honour and Glory that will accrue to my great Name by it . The ultimate , and chief end of God in all his Actions , is his own Glory . God bestows Pardon and Salvation upon us chiefly for the manifestation of his own Glory , even the Glory of his Mercy and free Grace . Our Salvation is therefore accomplished , that it might be a means to declare to the World how Merciful and Gracious God is ; not so much for our good , as for his Glory ; not for our sakes , but for his own sake . Such a Parallel place we have in Ezek. 36.12 . I do not this for your sake , saith the Lord , but for my Holy Name sake , that you have profaned among the Heathen : I will shew mercy unto you , not so much that you may be delivered , as that my Holy Name that you have profaned , may be redeemed from that dishonour that you have cast upon it , and may be Glorified among the Heathen .

And thus we have the full Interpretation of the words , and from them I shall raise and prosecute this Observation .

Doctrine . That the Grace of God , whereby he blots out and forgives sin , is absolutely free , and infinitely Glorious .

I , even I am he that blotteth out thy Transgressions for my own sake , and will not remember thy sins .

Now though this Doctrine of free Grace hath deserved well of all , as being the best tenure of our present Enjoyment , and the best prop for our future hopes ; yet hath it in all Ages found bitter Enemies , and of old , like the procurer of it , been Crucified between two Thieves , the Gnosticks and the Pelagian Hereticks : the Pelagians deprive it of its freedom , and enslave it to the will of Man , affirming , That God therefore pardons and saves some , because they will by the power of their own Nature work Faith in themselves ; whereas the truth is , therefore God works Faith in them , because he will pardon and save them . Thus they make free Grace a Hand-maid to wait upon the motions of free Will. Now this is greatly derogatory to free Grace , for Men to bottom their Faith and Pardon upon the Arbitrariness of free Will , and not upon the Almighty Soveraign Grace of God , that first moves the Will to believe , and then pardons it upon believing .

Now as these depress the free Grace of God , so there are others that ascribe too much unto it , of old Islebius , in Luther's time , who was the first Ring-leader : Of latter days , the Antinomians , and these think the Grace of God is so free as to supersede all necessity of working for it , or with it , and that it is enough for us to sit still and admire it , and so to be hurried away to Heaven in a Dream . Nay , some even in our days have upon this Principle arrived to that height of Blasphemy , as to affirm , That we never so much glorifie free Grace , as when we make work for it by stout sinning . Now therefore that we may avoid both these extreams , it will be very necessary to state aright , How the Grace of God is free , and how it is not free .

Now there are many sorts of Freedoms , a freedom from natural necessity , a freedom from violent co-action , and from engaging promises , and the like ; but these are not pertinent to our present business . When Grace therefore is said to be free , it must be taken in a two-fold sense .

First , Free from any procurement .

Secondly , Free from any limiting Conditions . And accordingly I shall propound the Resolution of two Questions .

First , Whether the Grace of God be so free , as to exclude all Merit and Desert ? And then ,

Secondly , Whether it be so free as to require no Conditions ?

First , Whether the Grace of God be so free , as to exclude all Merit and Desert ?

Now in Answer unto this Question , I shall lay down three Propositions .

First , God's Grace is not so free as to exclude the Merits of Christ . That the pardoning Grace of God is not so freely vouchsaf'd to Man , as to exclude all Merit and Desert on Christ's part . There is not the least sin pardon'd unto any , but it first cost the price of bloud , even the precious bloud of the Son of God . It is this bloud that crosseth God's Debt-Book , and blots out all those Items that we stand indebted to him for . As Christ now sues out our Pardon by his Intercession in Heaven ; so he bought out our Pardon by his Sufferings on the Cross ; for , without shedding of bloud , there is no Remission , Hebr. 9.22 . And this is my bloud , says our Saviour himself , which is shed for the remission of sins , Matth. 26.28 . And we are not our own , but we are bought with a price , even with the precious bloud of Jesus Christ , as of a Lamb without blemish , and without spot , as the two great Apostles speak , 1 Cor. 6.14 . 1 Pet. 1.21 . Some have made bold , and possibly with no bad intention , to call Jesus Christ the greatest sinner in the World ; because the sins of all God's People meet in him , and were imputed to him . They were his by a voluntary susception and undertaking : and if the foregoing expression may be allowed , there is one in Heaven , the highest in Glory , whose sins were never pardoned ; for our Lord Christ paid down the utmost Farthing that either the Law , or Justice of God could exact , as a satisfaction for those sins that he voluntarily took upon himself : And therefore by Law and Justice , and not by free Grace , he hath taken possession of Heaven for himself , and is there preparing Mansions for us . In respect of Christ we receive nothing of free Grace , or of free Gift , but all is by purchace . And as we our selves are bought with a price ; so is every thing we enjoy , even common and vulgar Mercies come flowing in upon us in streams of bloud . Our Lives , and all the Comforts of them , much more our future Life , and all the means tending to it , are paid for by the Bloud of Christ . So that the Grace of God is not so free , as to exclude all merit on Christ's part , who hath purchased all we enjoy , or hope for , by paying a full and equitable price to the Justice of God .

Secondly , God's Grace in giving of Christ to us , is free . The infinite Grace of God in giving Christ to us , and his Bloud for us , through which we have pardon merited , is absolutely free , and falls not under any merit , either of ours , or of his .

First , It falls not under any Merit of ours ; for certainly , could we have merited Christ out of Heaven , we might as well have merited Heaven without Christ . When God in his infinite Wisdom foresaw how we would reject and despise his Son ; first spill his Bloud , and then trample upon it , he did not account this Demeanour of ours to be meritorious of so great a gift .

Secondly , Which is yet more to the Glory of God's free Grace , He bestowed Christ upon us , not only without any merit of ours , but without any merit of his also . It is free Grace that Pardons , that Sanctifies , that saves us ; yet all this Christ purchased for us by a full price . God will have a price paid down for all other things of a less value , that so he might hereby set forth his own Bounty in parting with his own Son for us without price .

Pardoning Grace free in respect of us . Thirdly , Pardon and Grace obtained through the Bloud of Christ , in respect of any Merit of ours , is altogether free and undeserved . We cannot of our selves scarce so much as ask forgiveness , much less therefore can we do any thing that may deserve it . All that we can do , is either sinful , or holy ; if what we do be sinful , it only encreaseth our Debts : If it be holy , it must proceed from God's free Grace , that enables us to do it ; and certainly it is free Grace to pardon us upon the doing of that , which free Grace only enables us to do . Far be it from us to affirm , as the Papists do , that good Works are meritorious of pardon , what are our Prayers , our Sighs , our Tears ? yea , what are our Lives and our Bloud it self , should we shed it for Christ ? All this cannot make one blot in God's Remembrance-Book : Yea , it were fitter and more becoming the infinite Bounty of God to give Pardon and Heaven freely , than to set them to sale for such inconsiderable things as these are .

Heaven needed not to have been so needlesly prodigal and lavishing , as to have sent the Lord Jesus Christ into the World to lead a miserable Life , and die a cursed Death , had it been possible for Man to have bought off his own guilt , and to have quitted Scores with God by a lower price than what Christ himself could do , or suffer . And so much for the Resolution of the first Question : God's pardoning Grace though it be purchased in respect of Christ , yet is it absolutely free in respect of any merit of ours .

The Second Question is , Whether the Grace of God be so free as to require no Conditions on our part . Of gifts , some are bestowed absolutely without any terms of Agreement . And some are Conditional upon the performance of such Stipulations and Conditions , without which they shall not be bestowed ; of which sort is this Grace of God .

Sanctifying Grace is given absolutely . I Answer , First , The Sanctifying and Regenerating Grace of God , whereby the great Change is wrought upon our Hearts , in our first Conversion and turning unto God , is given absolutely , and depends not upon the performance of any Conditions . Indeed we are commanded to make use of means for the getting true and saving Grace wrought in us ; but these means are not Conditions for the obtaining of that Grace : For the Nature of Conditions are such , that the benefits which depend upon them are never bestowed , but where the Conditions are first performed . And therefore we call Faith and Repentance Conditions of Eternal Life , because eternal Life is never confer'd upon any who did not first believe and repent . But now certain it is , God hath converted some without the use of ordinary means , as St. Paul , and the Thief on the Cross . Therefore though we are commanded to use the means ; yet the use of Means and Ordinances , cannot be called Conditions of our Regeneration . And indeed , if any thing could be supposed a Condition of obtaining Grace , it must either be a work of Nature , or a work of Grace . Now a work of Grace it cannot be till Grace be wrought ; and to go about to make a work of Nature a Condition of Grace , it is to go about to revive that old Errour of the Pelagians , for which they stand Anathematized in Count Pallestine many Years since . Sanctifying Grace is given freely , excepted from any Conditions , though not excepted from the use of means .

Secondly , Justifying and pardoning Grace , though it be free , yet is it limited to the performance of certain Conditions , without which God never bestows it upon any , and they are two , Faith and Repentance . And these Graces God bestows upon whom he pleaseth , without any foregoing Conditions . Faith in Christ it is the freest gift that ever God bestowed upon any , except that Christ on whom we believe . But pardon of sin is restrained to Faith and Repentance as the Conditions of it ; nor is it ever obtained without them . These two things the Scripture doth abundantly confirm to us . Whoever believeth on him , shall obtain remission of sins , Acts 10.43 . Repent , that your sins may be blotted out , Acts 3.19 . Whoever believes on him , there Faith is made the Condition of Pardon . Repent , that your sins may be blotted out ; there Repentance is made the Condition of Pardon . These two particulars correspond with the two-fold Covenant of Grace God made with Man : His absolute Covenant , wherein he promiseth the first Converting Grace ; this Covenant now is independent from any Conditions , a Copy of which we have in Ezek. 36.26 . A new heart also will I give you , and a new spirit will I put within you , and I will cause you to walk in my Statutes , and you shall keep my Judgments , and do them . And then there is God's Conditional Covenant of Grace , wherein he promiseth Salvation only upon the foregoing Conditions of Faith and Repentance , this we have , Mark 16.16 . He that believeth shall be saved .

Thus I have stated the great Question concerning the free Grace of God . The first Sanctifying Grace of God is so free as to exclude all Conditions ; but the Justifying and Pardoning Grace of God is limited to the Conditions of Faith and Repentance ; and both Sanctifying and Justifying Grace are freely bestowed without any Merit of ours , but not without respect to the Merit of the Lord Jesus Christ , who hath purchased them at the highest rate , even with his own most precious Bloud .

In the next place I shall endeavour to set before you some particulars wherein the Glory of God's free Grace in pardoning sin may be more illustrated , that it may appear God assumes to himself this as the greatest honour , to be a sin-pardoning God . And ,

First , This highly commends the freeness of pardoning Grace , in that God decreed to bestow it without any Request , or Entreaties of ours . There was no Rhetorick moved him besides the Yearnings of his own Bowels . This was a Gracious Resolution sprung up spontaneously in the Heart of God from all eternity . He saw thee wallowing in thy Bloud , long before thou wert in thy Being : and this time it was a time of Love ; even a time before all times : What Friend could'st thou then make in Heaven ? What Intercessour hadst thou then , when there was nothing but God ? When this design of Love was laid , there was neither Prayers nor Tongues to utter them : Yea , Christ himself , though now he intercedes for the Application of Pardon , did not then intercede for the Decree of Pardon ; he could not then urge his Bloud and Merits as Motives for God to take up thoughts of forgiving us ; for had not God done so before , Christ had never shed his Bloud , nor wrought out Salvation for us . What Arguments , What Advocates did then perswade him ? Truly the only Argument was our Misery ; and the only Advocate was his own Mercy , and not Jesus Christ .

God pardons sin , when he is able to destroy sinners . Secondly , God pardons sin , when yet he is infinitely able to destroy the sinner ; and this greatly advanceth the Riches and freeness of his Grace . The same breath that pronounceth a sinner Absolved , might have pronounced him Damned . The Angels that fell could not stand before the power and force of his Wrath , but like a mighty Torrent it swept them all into Perdition ; How much less then could we stand before him ? God could have blown away every sinner in the World as so much loose Dust into Hell . It had been easie for his Power and Justice , if he had so pleased , to have triumph'd in the Destruction of all Mankind , but only that he intended a higher and more noble Victory , even that his Mercy should triumph and prevail over his Justice , in the pardoning and saving of sinners .

Thirdly , God pardons , tho he might gain Renown , as on the Damned . God pardons sin though he might gain to himself a great Renown , as he hath on the Damned . God might have written thy Name in Hell , as he hath written theirs , and might have set thee up a flaming Monument , and inscribed on thee Victory and Conquest to the Glory of his Everlasting Vengeance . Both Books were open before him , both the Book of Life and of Death ; and the Contents of both shall be rehearsed to his infinite Glory at the last Day : Now what was it dictated thy Name to him , that guided his Hand to write thee down rather in the Book of Life , than in the Book of Death ; that set thee down a Saint , and not a Sinner ; Pardon'd , and not Condemn'd ? What moved him to do all this for thee ? Why truly , the only Answer that God gives , and which is the only Answer that can be given , is the same which Pilate gives concerning our Saviour , What I have written , I have written .

Fourthly , Consider the paucity and smallness of the number of those that are pardon'd . Professours of Christianity are calculated by some to possess not above the sixth part of the known World ; and if among them we make a proportionable abatement for those that are professed Idolaters , for the grosly ignorant , for the prophane , and the Hypocritical : Certainly there will be but a small Flock remaining unto Jesus Christ ; here and there one pick't and cull'd out of the Multitudes of the World , like the Olive berries , the Prophet Jeremiah speaks of , left on the top of the uppermost Branches , when the Devil hath shaken down all the rest into Hell . Now is it not infinite Mercy , that thou should'st be found among these Gleanings after Harvest , that thou shoul'dst be one of these few ? God might have left thee to perish upon the same Reason that he left others , but he gathered thee out of all Nations , Kindreds , and Languages of the Earth , to make thee a Vessel of Mercy for himself . Indeed thou canst never enough admire the peculiar Love of God to thee herein , till the last Day ; when thou shalt see the small number of those that are saved , standing on the Right Hand of Christ , compared with the vast numbers of those that perish standing at the Left Hand of Christ , and seest thy self among the small number of those that are saved .

Fifthly , This also commends the freeness of pardoning Grace , that whereas the fallen Angels themselves were absolutely excepted out of God's Act of Indemnity and Oblivion ; yet fallen Man is again restored unto his Favour . Them God hath reserved in chains of darkness unto the Judgment of the great Day ; us he hath brought into glorious Light and Liberty : Our sins are blotted out of the Book of God's Remembrance ; whereas their Names are blotted out of the Muster-Roll of God's Heavenly Host Now here there are four things that d● greatly advance the Glory of free Grace .

First , Their Natures were more excellent than ours .

Secondly , Their Services would have been much more perfect than ours .

Thirdly , Their Sins were fewer tha● ours are . And ,

Fourthly , Their Pardon might have been procured at as cheap a rate , and at a little Expence as ours . And yet not them but us God hath chosen to be Vessels o● his Mercy .

First , Their Natures were more excellent than ours . They were glorious Spirits , the top and cream of the Creation we Clods of Earth , the Lees and Dreg● of Nature , our Souls , the only part by which we claim Kin to Angels , even they are of a younger House , and of a more Ignoble Extract ; how are they debased by being confined to these Lumps of Flesh , which , with much adoe , they make a shift to drag with them up and down the Earth , rather as Fetters of their Bondage , than Instruments of their Service : nay , so low sunk are we in this slime of matter , that we have not Excellency enough so much as to conceive what a pure Heavenly Orient Substance a Spirit is . And yet such as we are , Dust and Filth , hath God gathered up into his own Bosome ; though he hath disbanded whole Legions of Angels , and sent them down into Hell .

In these Natures of ours hath the Son of God Revealed , or rather hid himself : Even he who thought it no Robbery to be equal with God , thought it no scorn to become lower than Angels . He took not on him the Nature of Angels , but the Seed of Abraham .

Secondly , Their Services would have been more perfect upon their restoration , than ours can be . Indeed when we arrive at Heaven , our Services , our Love ▪ our Joy , and our Praises , shall then attain to a perfection exclusive of all sinful defects : But even then must we give Place to the Angels , as in our Beings , so in our Actings also . Had God restored them , and given them a Pardon , Heaven would more have resounded with the Shouts and Hallelujahs of one fallen Angel , than it can now with a whole Consort of glorified Saints : They would have burnt much more ardently in Love , who now must burn much more fiercely in Torments . They would much more mightily and sweetly have sung forth the Praises of God their Redeemer ; who now curse and blaspheme him more bitterly : And as far have out-stript a Saint in the work of Heaven , as they shall do a sinner in the Punishment of Hell . And yet free Grace passeth by them , and elects and chuseth narrower Hearts to conceive , and feebler Tongues to utter the Praises of their Redeemer ; whose Praises ought therefore to be the more , because he chuseth not them that may give him the most .

Thirdly , Consider this , their sins were fewer then ours are . We cannot exactly determine what their sins were , only the Apostle gives us a hint , that it was Pride gave them their fall , 1 Tim. 3.6 . Not a Novice , lest being lifted up with pride , he fall into the Condemnation of the Devil . Whether it was Pride , in that they affected to be God , or in that they scorn'd to be Guardians and Ministring Spirits unto Man , or in that they refused to become subject unto the Son of God , who was shortly to become Man , the Schools boldly enough dispute , but no Man can determine : but whatever it was , this is certain , God was speedy in the execution of wrath upon them , tumbling them all down headlong into Hell upon their first Rebellion : The time of their standing in their Primitive State , is conceived to be very short ; for their Creation , ( though the Socinians hold , it was long before ) must fall within the compass of six Days , for in that space the Scripture tells us , God made Heaven and Earth , and all things therein : and therefore within the space of six Days , he created the Angels also . Some refer their Creatio● to the first Days Work , others to th● fourth Day : and it 's probably though● That Adam's continuance in Innocency was not much above one Day , and ye● even then there were fallen Angels t● tempt him : so that their glorious an● blessed State could not , according to th● Computation , last above six or seven Days , such a speedy issue did God make with them upon their very first sin But now how is his Patience and Forbearance extended towards sinful Man He drives Adam out of Paradise , but i● was free Grace he did not drive him into Hell , where he had but a little before plunged far more excellent Creature than Adam was ; his Patience is prolonged to impenitent unbelieving Sinners , he bears with their proud Affronts waits their returns , and with a Miracle of Mercy reprieves them for a much longer date than he did the Angels themselves . How much more then ough● free Grace to be extolled by us , which did not so much as Reprieve the Angel● for one sin , and yet every moment grants out a free and absolute Pardon to his Servants , not for one sin , but for reiterated Provocations ; they could not obtain respite , and we obtain pardon . How many Leaves in God's Remembrance-Book , stands written thick with multitudes of sins , and yet no sooner doth God write down , but he also wipes out : His Pen and his Spunge keep the same measure ; our sins find constant Employment for the one , and God's free Grace and Mercy finds constant Employment for the other .

Fourthly , add to this what some with great probability affirm , the same price that bought out our Pardon , might have procured theirs also . By which it plainly appears , that there is no other Reason , why our Estate differs from theirs , but only God's free Soveraign Grace . Upon the same Account , God might have Damned all Mankind that he Damned the Angels for ; and at the same cost he might have saved all the fallen Angels , at which he saved some of Mankind . The Merits of Christ are the price of our Pardon and Redemption , and these have in them an infinite worth , and an All-sufficient Expiation , not for our sins only , but for the sins of the whole World both Men and Devils . The Streams of Christ's Bloud shed on the Cross for us , was sufficient to quench the flames of Hell , and utterly to have washt away the Lake of Fire and Brimstone . Hell might have been depopulated , and those black Mansions left void without Inhabitants for ever ; and the Devils and Men have been common sharers in that same common Salvation : For Christ having an infinite Dignity in his Person , being God as well as Man ; his Bloud the Bloud of God , his Sufferings the Sufferings and Humiliation of a God , inhanced his Merits to such a redundancy , as neither fallen Angels , nor fallen Men , were their Sins more , and their Miseries greater , were ever able to drain out : Not a drop more of Gall and Wormwood should have been squeezed into the Cup of Christ's Sufferings , though it had proved a Cup of Health and Salvation to them , as well as to us : And yet such was God's dreadful severity that he excluded the Angels from the benefits of Christ's Death , though he had been at no more Expences to save them ; the price of whose Pardon and Redemption would have been the same : And yet we , such is the infinite Riches of his Grace and Mercy , are Redeemed by a price that infinitely exceeds the purchace . O the freeness and riches of God's Grace , that he should thus pass by the Angels , and pitch upon and choose such vile wretched Creatures as we are .

Sixthly , consider , Pardoning Grace is free , whether we consider the generality of its designation , or the speciality of its Application .

First , It is free , Pardoning Grace is free in its Designation . in its general designation , in that God hath design'd and purposed to forgive the sins of all the World , if they will believe and repent . It is the Universality of Grace , that mightily exalts its freeness ; now what can be more universal , than that Proclamation of Pardon that God makes to poor sinners , in Acts 10.43 . Whosoever believes in him , shall receive remission of sins . The whole World is under this Conditional Promise , not one Soul of Man excepted : Be thy sins more than the Sands , greater than Mountains , though the cry of them reacheth up to Heaven , and the guilt of them reacheth down to Hell ; yet thou hast n● Reason , O Sinner , to exclude thy sel● from Pardon , for God hath not ; only believe and repent . But as general a● this pardon is , yet is there somewha● that is discriminating in it , that make● it more illustrious ; for it is not tendre● to Devils and Damned Spirits : Christ i● not appointed to be a Saviour unto them , nor is his Bloud a propitiation for their sins ; they are not under any Covenant of Grace , nor have they any promise of Mercy , no not so much as Conditional : It is not said unto them , believe , and you shall be rescued from the everlasting residue of your Torments ; believe , and those unquenchable Flames , you are now burning in , shall be put out : No , God requires no such Duty from them , neither hath he made any such Promise to them ; yea , should it be supposed , that they could believe , yet this their Faith would not at all avail them , because God hath ordained no Ransome for them , and resolves to receive no other satisfaction to his Justice , than their personal Punishment . But while we are alive , we are all the Objects of God's free pardoning Grace . And for any Man that hears the sound of the Gospel , and upon what terms God hath proclaimed forgiveness of Sin ; if any Man , notwithstanding shall perish in his sins , it is not because God hath excluded him from Pardon , which he doth seriously , and with vehement importunity , offer and urge upon him ; but because he excludes himself by his own Impenitency and Unbelief , in not accepting of it .

Secondly , Pardoning Grace is free , Pardoning Grace is free in its special Application . in the special Application of it . Now the Application of Pardon is not made unto any , till the performance of those Conditions upon which Pardon is tendred , and they are Faith and Repentance . Now herein is God's Grace infinitely free , who first fulfils these Conditions in his Children , that so he may fulfill his Gracious Promises unto them of Life and Pardon . The Conditional Covenant of Grace , promises Pardon and Remission of Sins unto all that shall believe and repent : But notwithstanding all this , the whole World might perish under a contracted Impotency , whereby they could not believe nor repent , did not the Absolute Covenant engag● God's Truth to work Faith and Repentance in the Hearts of his People : S● that one Covenant promiseth Pardon i● we believe and repent , and the other Covenant bestows this Faith and Repentance upon us . The Conditional Covenant promiseth Pardon of sin and Salvation , if we believe and repent and the absolute Covenant promiseth Faith and Repentance to us , to inable us to believe and repent . And what could God do more that might farther express the freeness of his Grace to us , than to pardon upon Condition of Faith and Repentance , which Faith and Repentance he works in us . This is to pardon us as freely as if he had pardon'd us without any Faith and Repentance at all .

God pardons great sinners , and passeth by those that are guilty of less . Seventhly , God sometimes selects out the greatest and most notorious Sinners , to vouchsafe Grace and Pardon to them , when he suffers others eternally to perish under far less guilt . He makes a difference in his Proceedings , quite contrary to the difference he finds in Mens Demerits . And wherefore is this but only to shew forth the absolute freeness of his Grace , greater Debts are blotted out , when smaller stand still upon the account , only that it may be known , that God is free to do what he will with his own , and that he will shew mercy to whom he will shew mercy , and whom he will he pardons . How many Heathens , Men of improved Natural Endowments , and proportionable Virtues ; and yet not having Faith in , and knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ , are excluded from pardon and forgiveness , whose sins rather shew them to be Men , than not to be Christians : Whereas others under the Noon-tide of the Gospel , are guilty of such flagitious Crimes , that shew them to be Monsters , rather than Men ; and yet these upon their Faith and Repentance , obtain Pardon and Remission , as if it were with God , as it is with Men , the more there is to be remembred , the sooner he forgets . It is these Riches of Pardoning Grace that St. Paul admires and adores , when he tells us concerning himself , I was a Blasphemer , and a Persecutor , and Injurious , but I obtained mercy , 1 Tim. 1.13 .

God pardons without foresight of Merit . Eighthly , God decrees to pardon without foresight of Merit , or worth in us . When we lay before him , as the Objects of his Mercy , what was our posture , but weltering in our Bloud ? And what promising , Aspect was such a loathsome Object as this ? Divine Love did not foresee any attractive Comeliness in us , but made it ; when we were rolled up in our own Filth , cast forth to the loathing of our Flesh ; yet then was it a time of Love , and even then when we were in our Bloud , God said to us , Live ; when we were full of Wounds , Bruises , and putrifying Sores , Divine Love condescended to bind them up and cure them ; such miserable deformed Creatures were we : And could there be any thing amiable in such an Object as this , only hereby God puts an accent on the Riches of his Love , laying it out upon such as were not worthy , with a design to make them worthy .

God pardons sin , though he foresees we will commit more sin . Ninthly , Consider this , God pardons not only , though he saw no Merit in us , but what is more to the Glory of his free Grace , though he foresaw many future wrongs and injuries would be added to those we had already done . He foresaw all our Provocations and Rebellions , how we would abuse his Grace , and turn it into wantonness . He saw the Rebellions of our unregeneracy , the Infirmities of our Converted State ; yet tho' he foresaw all before they were , yet he resolved not to see them when they are , Numb. 23.21 . He hath not beheld iniquity in Jacob , nor perverseness in Israel . And this , though it ought not to encourage us in sin : yet it may be a support and comfort to us , when through weakness and infirmity we have sinned ; that God who loved us , and decreed to pardon us , when he foresaw how sinful we would be , will not certainly now cease to love us , and pardon us , when we are as vile and sinful as he foresaw we would be .

Tenthly , The Lord Jesus Christ , Christ , by whom alone we are paron'd , is the Gift of God . by whom alone we are pardon'd , is freely given to us by the Father . What price could we have offer'd , to have brought down the Son of his Eternal Love from his Embraces . What was there in us to draw a Saviour out of Heaven ? Were we so amiable as to move him to divest himself of his Glory , and to Eclipse his Deity in our Mortal Bodies , only that he might become like such poor Worms as we are , and take us unto himself ? Ask no more , but admire , God so loved the World , that he gave his only begotten Son , that whosoever believeth in him might not perish , but have everlasting Life . Here 's a Mystery that the whole College of Angels can never comprehend ! What , God Condemn his Son , that he might pardon Rebels ! The Son of God blot his Deity in our Flesh , only that he might blot out our Transgressions with his Bloud ! This is such transcendent free Grace and Love , that in this we have an Advantage above the Angels themselves , standing higher in the Favour of God , upon this account , than they do .

Now compact all these Ten Particulars in your thoughts together , wherein the freeness of pardoning Grace most illustriously appears , and you will find there is good reason for God in the Text , triumphantly to ascribe to himself , I , even I am he that blotteth out your Transgressions .

The Application I shall make of this Truth , I shall only briefly mention .

First , VSE . We must not sin because of pardoning Grace . Is the Pardoning Grace of God thus free ? Take heed then , that you do not abuse , or turn it into Wantonness . Shall we continue in sin , because God so freely pardons sin , God forbid ? Who would ever make such a cursed Inference as this , that ever had the least sense or touch of Divine Love upon his Heart . Every one loves to have his Ears tickled with this soft sweet downy Doctrine of God's free Grace and Love ; and when they hear it , they stretch themselves upon it , and lull themselves fast asleep in sin . But what says the wise Man , Prov. 25.27 . It is not good to eat much honey . No , there is no such dangerous Surfeit , as upon the sweet and luscious Truths of the Gospel . This Honey leaves a deadly sting in Men that abuse it to encourage themselves in sin . It is such disingenuity to argue from freeness of pardon , to freedom in sinning , that I dare say , That no Heart that ever had a pardon sealed to it by the Witness of the Spirit of God , but utterly abhors it . What therefore to provoke God , because he is ready to forgive ? What to multiply sin , because God is ready to pardon ? What is this , but to spurn at those Bowels of Mercy that yern towards us , and even to strike at God with that Golden Scepter that he holds out to us , as a Token of Love and Peace : Certainly they who thus argue , and who thus act , never knew what a sweet and powerful Attractiveness there is in the sense of pardoning Grace and Love , to win over the Heart , from the practice of those sins that God hath forgot to punish .

Pardoning Grace engageth to Love God . Secondly , This should engage us to Love that God who so loved us , as freely for his own sake to forgive us such vast Debts , and such multiplied sins . This is the import of that Speech of our Saviour , he loveth most , to whom most is forgiven him . And hence it is , and you may commonly observe it , That none are such great Lovers and Admirers of free Grace , as those who before Conversion were the vilest and most flagitious Sinners .

Thirdly , Pardoning Grace should teach us to forgive others . Since God doth so freely pardon us , let this teach us , and prevail with us to pardon and forgive the offence of others . This is that the Scripture doth urge as the most natural Inference of this Doctrine of God's pardoning Grace . Thus the Apostle , Ephes. 4.32 . Be ye kind to one another , tender-hearted , forgiving one another , as God , for Christ's sake , hath forgiven you . And say not as ignorant People are wont to do , I will forgive , but I will never forget ; for God doth forgive , and forget too . I will blot out your transgressions , and I will remember your sins no more . Your sins against God are Talents , others Offences against you are but Pence ; and if for every trivial Provocation you are ready to take your Brother by the Throat , and wreak your wrath and revenge upon him : may you not fear lest your Lord and Master to whom you stand deeply indebted , should also deal so with you for far greater Crimes , than others can be guilty of against you , and cast you into Prison until you have paid the utmost most Farthing ; especially considering that you pray for the forgiveness of your own sins , as you do proportionably forgive the sins of others . Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive them that trespass against us .

And thus I have opened and demonstrated unto you the former part of the Doctrine , That the Grace of God whereby he blots out and forgives sin , is absolutely free . I am now in the next place to prove , that it is infinitely glorious .

Now this I shall endeavour to do by considering pardon of sin in the Nature of it , in the Concomitants of it , and in the Effects and Consequences of it : From all which it will appear , both how great a Mercy it is to us , and how great a Glory it is to God , that he blots out and forgets sin . And ,

First , Let us consider the nature of pardon of sin , what it is . And this we cannot better discover than by looking into the Nature of sin . Sin therefore , as the Apostle describes it , is a Transgression of the Law . Now to the Validity of any Law , there are Penalties literally expressed , or tacitly implyed , which are altogether necessary . The guilt contracted by the transgressing of the Law , is nothing but our liableness to undergo the Penalty threatned in the Law , and this guilt it is two-fold ; the one is intrinsical and necessary , and that is the desert of punishment , which sin carries always in it . The other is extrinsical and adventitious , by which sin is ordained to be punished . These two things are in every sin . Every sin deserves Death , and God hath in his Law ordain'd and threatned to inflict Death for it .

Question . Now it being clear , That Pardon and Remission of Sin , is nothing but the removal of the guilt of sin ; the Question is , Whether it removes that guilt that consists in the desert of punishment , or that which consists in the voluntary appointment of it unto punishment , or both ?

Answer . To this , I Answer , Pardon of sin doth not remove the intrinsical desert of punishment , but only the adventitious appointment and ordination of it unto punishment , flowing from the Will of God , who hath in his own Law threatned to punish sin . Remission doth not make that the sins , even of Believers themselves should not deserve Death ; for a liableness to the penalty of the Law , in this sence is a necessary consequent upon the Transgression of the Law : But because God , in the Covenant of Grace , hath promised not to reward his Penitent Servants according to the evil of their doings , therefore Pardoning Grace removes this guilt of sin arising from God's Ordination of it unto punishment . As now suppose a Traytour should accept of the proffer of a Pardon , the guilt of his Treason ceaseth not in the inward nature of it , but still he deserves to be punished : but this Obnoxiousness of his through the Prince's Favour and Appointment is taken away , and so that guilt ceaseth . So the Repenting Sinner , every sin he commits deserves Death ; but upon his believing in the Lord Jesus Christ , this liableness unto Death ceaseth , being graciously remitted to them by God .

Now the Scripture sets forth this Pardon of sin , in very sweet and full Expressions . It is called a covering of sin , Psal. 32.1 . Blessed is the man , whose transgression is forgiven , and whose sin is covered . Though our covering of our sins is no Security from the inspection of God's Eye , who clearly beholds the most hidden and secret things of Darkness ; yet certainly those sins that God himself hath covered from himself , he will never again look into , so as to punish for them . Nay , yet farther , as a ground of Comfort , Pardon of sin is not only called a covering of our sins from God's sight , but a covering of God's Face and Sight from them ; so we have it , Psal. 51.9 . Hide thy face from my sins , and blot out mine iniquities . It is a casting of our sins behind God's back , as a thing that shall never more be regarded or look'd upon : so it is expressed to us , Isaiah 38.17 . Thou hast in love to my soul , ( says good Hezekiah , when a Message of Death was brought to him by the Prophet ) cast all my sins behind thy back . It is a casting of them into the depth of the Sea ; from whence they shall never more arise , either in this World , to terrifie our Consciences ; or in the World to come , to condemn our Souls ; so we have it in Micah 1.19 . I will cast all their Iniquities , says God , into the depth of the Sea . It is a scattering of them as a thick cloud , so it is called , Esay 44.22 . I will scatter their sins as a cloud , and their iniquities as a thick cloud . And in the Text , it is called a blotting out and a forgetting of sin . I even I am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for my own sake , and will not remember thy sins : a blotting out , to shew , That God will never read his Debt-Book against us ; and a forgetting it , That we may not fear , that God will accuse us without-book .

Now these , and such like Expressions , with which the Scripture doth abound , do very much illustrate the Mercy of God , in pardoning of sin , and I shall unfold it in these following Particulars .

First , Pardon and Remission of sin , Pardon of sin an Act of God's only . is no Act of ours , but an Act of God's only . It is nothing done by us , or in us , but an Act of God's free Grace , meerly without us , and therefore God ascribes it wholly unto himself , I even I am he . And when our Saviour cured the Paralytick , the Scribes storm at him as a Blasphemer , thou blasphemest , say they to him , not knowing him to be God ; for who , say they , can forgive sins but God only ?

But be it an Act of God's only , and not ours , and an Act wholly without us , what Comfort is there in this ? yes much , and that upon these Grounds ; because God's Acts within us are always imperfect in this Life , but God's Acts without us , are always perfect and consummate . Sanctification is a work of God's Grace within us : Now this because it meets with much opposition in every Faculty , from inherent sin , which spreads it self over the whole Soul ; therefore this work is always in this Life kept low and weak . But Pardon of sin , is an Act without us , in the breast of God himself , where it meets with no opposition nor allay nor doth it increase by small degrees but is at once as perfect and intire , a● ever it shall be . I do not mean , a● some have thought and taught , That God at once pardons all the sins of true Believers , as well those they do , or shal commit , as those that they have already committed : but only , That what sin God pardons , he doth not pardon then gradually . There is nothing left o● Guilt upon the Soul , when God pardons it ; but there is something left o● Filth upon the Soul , when God sanctifies it . And therefore , as it is the grief of God's Children , That their inherent Holiness is so imperfect here , that they are so assaulted with Temptations , so dogg'd by Corruption , so oppressed and almost stifled to Death by a body of sin that lies heavy upon them ; yet this , on the other side , may be for their Comfort and Encouragement , That God's pardoning Grace is not as his sanctifying Grace is , nor is it granted to them by the same stint and measure . A sin truly repented of , is not pardoned to us by halves , half the Guilt remitted , and half retained , as the Papists fansie to establish their Doctrine of Purgatory ; but it is as fully pardon'd as it shall be in Heaven it self : And hence it follows ,

First , Though the Guilt of sin be removed , yet it is not our Repentance that removes it : for then , as no Man's Repentance is absolutely perfect ; so no Man's Sins should be fully pardon'd ; but still there would be remainders of Guilt left upon the Conscience , as there is still a mixture of Impenitency in the best Christians : But Pardon and Remission is not mingled with Guilt , as Grace is with Sin ; because it is an Act of Mercy wrought , not in our breast , but arising in God's only , where it meets with nothing to allay or abate it , and it is infinitely more perfect than our Repentance can be .

Secondly , Hence we may inferr , Pardon of Sin more sure , than our Assurance of it can be . That our Pardon is infinitely more sure , than our Assurance of it in our own Consciences can be satisfactory ; for the sense of Pardon is a work of God's Spirit within us , which commonly is mixed with some Hesitations , Mis-givings , Doubts and Fears : And therefore tho our Comforts be never so strong , tho it be Spring-Tide with us ; yet our ground for Comfort is still much more Oh what rich and abundant Grace is this in God towards us , that exceeds both our Grace and our Comfort ! And therefore though , O Christian , thy Sanctification be the best Evidence of thy Justification and Pardon , yet is it not the best Measure of it , for thou art justify'd and thou art pardon'd much more than thou art sanctified ; Sanctifying Grace in thee indeed is in its first Rudiments and Inchoation ; but Pardoning-Grace in thy God , is consummate and perfect . And that is the first thing .

Secondly , Remission of Sin , makes Sin to be as if it had never been committed . Things that are forgotten , are no more to us , than if they had never had a being . Now God tells us , he forgets our sins , their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more . Nor is there any long Tract of Time required , to wear the Idea of them out of his Memory , as is necessary among Men , to make them forget the Wrongs and Injuries done to them by their fellow-Creatures ; for God forgets the sins of his Children , as soon as they are repented of ; yea , sometimes sooner than our Consciences do : for many times a Christian , after a heart-breaking-Repentance for some great Sin , lies under the upbraidings of Conscience , when God hath forgiven it ; yea , and forgotten it also . God's Officer is not so ready to acquit them , as God himself is . He forgets as though no Provocation or Offence had ever been committed . He retains not his Anger for ever , says the Prophet , Micah 7.14 . not for ever , but so soon as ever we grow displeased with our selves , he begins to be well-pleased with us ; no sooner doth Sorrow and Grief overspread our Faces , but Favours and Smiles clear up his Face to us . See this gracious Disposition of God , in Jerem. 31.20 . Ephraim is there brought in bewailing his sin : Surely , says he , after I was turned , I repented ; after I was instructed , I smote upon my thigh ; I was ashamed , yea , even confounded , because I did bear the reproach of my youth : Now , what doth God but presently embrace him , with most tender and most melting Expressions of Love , as if he had never been angry , nor had any cause for it : Is Ephraim my dear Son , is he a pleasant Child , since I pass against him , I do earnestly remember him still ; my bowels are troubled for him ; I will surely have mercy upon him , saith the Lord . And therefore , O Christian , thou who now perhaps cryest out in the bitterness of thy Soul , Oh , that I had never committed this or that sin against God! Oh , that I had never offended him in this or that manner ! Why thou hast thy Wish , O Sinner , herein ; for God , when he pardons sin , makes it as if it had never been committed against him .

Remission of Sin , makes God account of us as just and righteous . Thirdly , hence it follows , That upon Remission of Sin , God no longer accounts of us as Sinners , but as Just and Righteous . It is true , after a Pardon is received , we still retain sinful Natures ; still Original Corruption is in us , and will never totally be dis-lodged out of us in this Life : but when God pardons us , he looks not upon us as Sinners , but as Just and Righteous . A Malefactour , that is discharged , by satisfying the Law , or by the Prince's Favour to him , is no more look'd upon as a Malefactour , but as Just and Righteous , as if he had never offended the Law at all ; so is it here : we are both ways discharged from our Guilt , by Satisfaction unto the Penalty of the Law in Christ our Surety , and by the free Grace and Mercy of God , who hath made and sealed to us a gracious Act of Pardon in Christ's Blood ; and therefore we stand upright in Law , and are as Just and Righteous in God's sight , as if we had never sinned against him . O how great Consolation is here , unto the Children of God! They account themselves great Sinners , yea , the greatest and worst of Sinners ; but God accounts them Just and Righteous ; they keep their sins in remembrance , as David speaks , my sin is ever before me ; when God hath not only forgiven , but fotgotten them : they write and speak bitter things against themselves , when God is writing out their Pardon , and setting his Seal unto it .

God's Grace as easily pardons great as small sins . Fourthly , Pardoning Grace can as easily triumph in the remitting of great and many Sins , as of few and small Sins . What a great blot upon the Heavens is a thick Cloud , and yet the Beams of the Sun can pierce thorow that , and scatter it easily . Why now God will blot out our Trangressions as a thick Cloud , so himself tells us by the Prophet , Isa. 44.12 . I will blot out thy transgressions as a cloud , and thine iniquities as a thick cloud . A great Debt may as easily be blotted out as a small one . Ten thousand Talents is a great Summ , yet it is as easily and freely forgiven , by the great God , as a few Pence . God proclaims himself , to be a God pardoning Iniquity , Transgression , and Sin ; that is , Sins of all sorts and sizes . The greatest Sins repented of , are no more without the Extent of Divine Grace and Mercy , than the least Sins , unrepented of , are without the Cognizance of Divine Justice . Esay 1.18 . Though your sins be as scarlet , yet shall they become as white as snow ; though they be red as crimson , yet they shall be as wooll . And can there then be found a despairing Soul in the World , when the great God hath thus magnified his Grace and Mercy above all his Works , yea , and above all ours also ? Say not then , O Sinner , my sins are greater than can be forgiven ; this is to stint and limit the Grace of God , which he hath made boundless and infinite : and thou mayest , with as much Truth and Reason say , thou art greater than God , as that thy Sins are greater than his Mercy . Of all things in the World take heed that you be not injurious to this rich Grace , to this free Love and Mercy , that pardons thee even for his own sake . God pardons thee for himself , for his own Sake , and dost thou fear , O Penitent believing Soul , that ever he will condemn thee for thy Sins ? no , but as much as God and his Mercy is greater than our Sins , so much more Reason will he find in himself to Pardon the Repenting Believing Sinner , than he can find Reason in his Sins to condemn him .

Thus we see what cause of Comfort there is in this Pardoning Grace of God . And thus also we have consider'd Pardon of Sin in its own Nature .

Of the Concomitants of Pardon of sin . Secondly , We shall now consider Pardon of Sin in its Concomitants and Adjuncts , and so we shall take a view of those things which do inseparably accompany it , and thereby also we may see , how great and unspeakable a Mercy it is . It is a Mercy that is never bestowed upon the Soul singly and alone , but evermore comes environ'd with whole Troops and Associate-Blessings . As ,

Pardon of Sin , and Acceptation go together . First , Pardon of Sin is always conjoyn'd with the Acceptation of our Persons . Indeed these two are the twin Parts of our Justification ; and therefore we have them coupled together , Ephes. 1.6 , 7. He hath made us accepted in the beloved ; In whom we have Redemption thorow his blood , even the Forgiveness of Sin . The whole Mystery of our Justification stands in these two things , Remission and Acceptation . Remission takes away our liableness unto Death , and Acceptation gives us a Right and Title unto Life ; for to be accepted of God in Christ , is no other , than for God through the Righteousness and Obedience of Christ imputed to us , to own and acknowledge us , as having a Right and Title unto Heaven : and therefore we have mention made of Pardon and an Inheritance together , as the full summ of our Justification . Acts 11.18 . That they may receive forgiveness of sin , and an inheritance among those that are sanctified . It is not therefore , O Soul , a bare negative Mercy that God intends thee in the Pardon of thy Sins ; it is not merely the removing of the Curse and the Wrath that thy sins have deserv'd , though that alone can never be sufficiently admired ; but the same hand that plucks thee out of Hell , by pardoning Grace and Mercy , lifts thee up to Heaven , by what it gives thee together with thy Pardon , even a Right and Title to the glorious Inheritance of the Saints above .

Secondly , Another Concomitant is this , Pardoning and sanctifying Grace go together . Who-ever God pardons , he doth also in some measure sanctifie . He subdues our sins , as well as blots them out ; he abates their Power , as well as removes their Guilt . And indeed it were no better than lost labour , for God to pardon sin , if he did not purifie the Sinner also : for , were but the least Sin and Corruption left to rule and reign in us , we should presently run our selves as far into Debt and Arrears , as ever we were . Indeed the best Christian , in whom Grace is most prevailing , and Corruption weakest , yet even he stands daily and hourly in need of pardoning Mercy ; but yet withal , his Sins are not of so high a Nature , nor so deep a Stain , as usually the Sins of wicked Men are . His Sins usually are such rather for the manner of them , than for the matter of them : God , by his pardoning Grace , forgives Infirmities , Failings , and Defects ; and , by his sanctifying Grace , ordinarily keeps him from the commission of more gross and scandalous Sins . And how then can we enough admire the rich Grace of God , that not only forgives us our Debts , but withal bestows a new stock upon us , to keep us from running into Debt again , in any great and desperate Summs .

Pardon of Sin and Adoption , are inseparable . Thirdly , Pardon of sin is always conjoyn'd with our Adoption into the Family of Heaven . Herein is the Love of God greatly seen , not only to pardon Rebels , but to make them his Children : not only to forgive Debtors , but to make them Heirs of his own Estate . The same precious Blood that blots out our Sins , writes us down Heirs of Glory , and Co-heirs with Jesus Christ himself . O infinite and unspeakable Mercy of God , thus richly and bountiful to give , as well as freely to forgive ! that he should thus instate us at present , in his Love and Favour , and hereafter instate us in his Glory ! This is not the manner of Men , O Lord , but , as far as the Heavens are above the Earth , so far are the Thoughts of God above our Thoughts , and his Ways above our Ways : And therefore , as far as the East is from the West , so far hath he removed our Sins from us : And why so far ? but only that he might make room for these great and unspeakable Mercies of Justification , Sanctification , and Adoption to intervene .

And so much for the Second thing proposed , namely , the Concomitants and Adjuncts of Pardon of Sin .

Of the Effects and Consequences of Pardon of Sin . Thirdly , Let us now Consider , Pardon of Sin , in the Effects and Consequences of it , and from hence also it will appear , How transcendent a Mercy it is , and how just a Title God hath to glory in it , when he saith , I even I am he that blotteth out thy transgressions . Mercies temporal and spiritual , the Blessings of this Life , and the Glory of a future ; what-ever indeed can be called a Mercy or good thing , doth acknowledge it self a retainer to this primitive and fountain-Mercy of Pardon of Sin . Now in such a heap of them , I shall only cull out some few that are most conspicuous .

Now Remission of Sin may be consider'd ; either as it lies in God's Eternal Intention , or in the Spirit 's temporal Application of it .

The one is God's purpose before all time , to forgive us ; the other is rhe execution of that purpose in time . If we consider Pardon of Sin in God's Eternal purpose and intendment , so there are two blessed Effects flowing from it , and they are these .

First , The sending of Jesus Christ into the World .

Secondly , The great Gift of Faith .

First , The sending Christ into the World , the effect of God's purpose to pardon sin . The sending of Jesus Christ into the World , who is the cause of all happiness unto sinful Man , was it self the effect of this purpose of God , to pardon and forgive Sinners . It is very difficult to trace out the Order of the Divine Decrees concerning the Salvation of Mankind , and to pass from one of them to another , as they lie ranked and methodized in God's Breast : And divers that have attempted to search out these Arcana Dei , this Art and Mystery of Justice and Mercy , have trodden in paths different from one another , and doubtless many of them differing from the Truth also . I shall not stand to draw a Scheme of these Decrees of God , let it now suffice us to know , that God , from all Eternity , foreseeing the Sin and Misery , which Man would , by his permission , and his own sin , involve himself in , did , for the manifestation of the Riches , both of his Mercy and Justice , enter into Counsel , how to pardon and save him . This was the end of God's design , even to restore again to Happiness some of Mankind ; even as many as he should select out of the Mass and common Rubbish of Sin and Misery , and set apart for himself . Well , but how shall this end be accomplished and brought about : Justice brandisheth its Sword in the Face of Sinners , and demands as great a share of Glory in punishment , as Mercy doth in pardoning ; and God is resolved to glorifie both of these Attributes of his in their several demands : This now put him upon ransacking of the deepest Counsel that ever lodged in his Heart , even of an Adored Mediatour , in whom Justice receives full satisfaction , and Mercy triumphs in a full Pardon , and both are infinitely glorious . For this end , God sent down his Son from Heaven to Earth , to become a Propitiation for us , and so through the shedding of his Bloud to obtain remission and forgiveness of sins for us . God's Mercy and his Beloved Son could not rest together in his Bosom , and therefore his purpose of pardoning Sin was so efficacious , that to make room for the displaying of his Mercy , he sends his own Son out of Heaven , never to enter again there , till by his Merit and Sufferings he had procured Remission of Sins for all those that believe in him . Hence the Apostle , Rom. 3.26 . tells us , That God sent forth Christ to be a Propitiation , through Faith in his Bloud , to declare his Righteousness for the Remission of Sins that are past , through God's forbearance , that he might be Just , and the Justifier of them that believe in Jesus . As if the Apostle had said , God could not be Just , if he should justifie Sinners that deserve his Wrath , unless he had sent forth Jesus Christ into the World to become a Propitiation and Sacrifice to his Justice for their Sins : For having threatned in his unalterable word to inflict vengeance upon all that are guilty , his Truth obliged him to this dreadful severity upon all , since all are guilty . But that Christ taking on him the guilt of sinners , by his own undergoing the wrath of God , and the Curse of the Law , hath so fully appeased Divine Justice , that now God , though he doth not punish Sinners in themselves , can yet be Just and the Justifier of Sinners , therefore he sent forth Christ to be a Propitiation . God's Eternal Purpose to glorifie his Justice in the punishing sin , and yet to glorifie his Grace and Mercy in pardoning Sinners , wrought this great effect of sending Christ into the World , whereby two such different ends might with Infinite Wisdom be accomplished . So that Christ who is the cause of all our Happiness and Mercy , is yet himself the effect of God's Purpose and Intent to pardon sin . And what can be said more to advance the greatness of this Mercy , a Mercy so great , that one of the Fathers , St. Gregory by Name , doubted whether it were more Misery or Happiness that Adam fell , since his Sin and Fall occasioned such a wonderful Redeemer , and such a Glorious Salvation ; Foelix culpa , says he , O Happy Fall , that obtained such a Redeemer .

Faith , the Effect of pardoning Mercy . Secondly , Another blessed Effect of God's purpose in pardoning sin , is the great gift of Faith . Indeed to give Jesus Christ , were utterly in vain , did not God withal give Faith to accept him . To tender Christ to an Unbeliever , is to offer a Gift where there is no Hand to receive it . Hence that God's purpose of giving pardon might stand valid , that the Death of Christ might not be fruitless , and that his Bloud might not be like Water spilt on the ground , that cannot be gathered up again . God decreed to bestow Faith upon them that believe , that may convey to them the Benefits of Christ's Merits in their Pardon and Remission . These two blessed Effects now follow in God's Purpose and Intention of pardoning sin ; even the Gift of Christ to procure , and the Gift of Faith to apply Pardon unto the Soul .

Secondly , And more especially , Let us consider Pardon of Sin in its temporal and real Application : And so the happy Effects of it are manifold , I shall only instance in some at present .

First , Pardon of sin gives security against God's Justice . Pardon of Sin gives an inviolable security against the pursuits of avenging Justice . This is its formal , and most immediate Effect . Justice follows guilty Sinners close at the Heels , and shakes its flaming Sword over their Heads : every Threatning contained in this Book of God , stands ready charged against them , and their Sins make them so fair a Mark , that they cannot be missed . Hence is that sad Complaint of Job , Why hast thou set me up as a Mark ? Into which he emptied his Arrows as into his Reins , Job 7.20 . Now while Justice is driving the Sinner before him from Plague to Plague , resolving never to stop till he hath driven him into Hell , the great Assembly and Meeting of all Plagues : Mercy interposeth and lays its Arrest upon it ; and this Gracious Act of Pardon rescues us , though under the hands of the Executioner , and we ready to be turned into Hell . Here the Challenge that Justice makes to us ceaseth , and we are left to walk safely under the protection of Mercy . For when God issues out a Pardon , he calls off Justice from its pursuit . Thus you have the Psalmist thankfully acknowledging , Psalm 85.2 . Thou hast forgiven our Iniquities ; and what follows now , Thou hast taken away all thy Wrath , thou hast turned thy self from the fierceness of thine Anger . Nor is it to be feared , O Soul , that thou shalt evermore be questioned for those sins that are once forgiven thee . God's Acts of Oblivion can never be repealed : No , God sets an everlasting Sanction upon them , and Justice shall never again molest thee , Jeremiah 34. I will forgive their iniquities , and will remember their sins no more . And indeed , well may Divine Justice cease its pursuit of the guilty sinner , for always when God pardons a sinner , he turns his pursuit after Christ , and satisfies all his just demands upon him : for though we are the Principals in the Debt , yet our Surety , who stands bound for us in the Covenant of Redemption , is far the more able and absolving Person .

Now is not this an unspeakable mercy , that Justice and Vengeance , the heavy stroaks of which many thousand Wretches lie under , and which thy sins have provoked and armed against thy own Soul , that might , every sin thou committest , that is every moment of thy Life , strike thee Dead in the place ; in the dread of which , if thou hast any tenderness of Conscience left in thee , thou must needs live in continual fearful expectations of this Wrath of God , to destroy thee as his Enemy . Is it not now Infinite Mercy that God should call in the Commission given to his Justice , that Mercy might secure thee from it : What is this but the effect of Pardoning Grace that gives this destroyer charge to pass over all those upon whose Consciences the Bloud of Christ is sprinkled for the removal of their guilt .

Peace and Reconciliation , an Effect of pardon of sin . Secondly , Another Blessed Effect of Pardon of Sin , is Peace and Reconciliation with God . And what happiness can there be greater , than when the Quarrel betwixt Heaven and Earth , betwixt God and the Sinner , is taken up and compounded . Open Wars have been long proclaimed , and long maintained on either part ; ever since the first great Rebellion , Man hath stood in defiance with , and exercised great Hostility against his Creatour ; and God on the other hand , hath thundred out whole Peals of Curses against these Rebels , and hath slain whole Generations of them eternally Dead upon the place . God hath still maintain'd his Cause with Victory , and Man his with Obstinacy ; and this War would never cease , did not God proclaim Pardon and Forgiveness to all that will lay down their Arms and submit . Now hereupon Peace is concluded fully : for first God's pardoning Sinners , manifests himself to be fully reconciled to them , so the Apostle tells us , Rom. 5.1 . Being Justified by Faith , we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ . God is a sworn Enemy to all guilty sinners , himself hath affixed this Title to the rest of his Name , That he will by no means clear the guilty . Guilt hath a malign influence , not only on our Consciences to discompose them with Terrours and Affrightments , but on God's Countenance also to ruffle it into Frowns and Displeasure . Now when God pardons sin , he wipes away this over-casting Cloud : and the cause of Enmity being removed , his Face and Favour clears up to us . And then ,

Secondly , Pardon of Sin is a strong Inducement to us to lay down the Weapons of our Warfare , and be at peace with God . What Argument can be more prevailing where there is any Principle of Ingenuity ? When God thus proclaims Peace , shall I continue War ? He Pardons , and shall I Rebel ? He is Reconciled , and shall I be Implacable ? Shall I persist in those sins which he forgives ? No , far be it from me : I submit to that God , whose rich Grace conquers by condescending , as well as his Power by crushing . And thus the Soul lays down its Weapons at the Feet of God , and humbly embraceth the terms of Agreement propounded by him in the Gospel .

Pardon of sin lays a good foundation , for Acquaintance and Communion with God . Thirdly , Pardon of Sin lays a good Foundation for the Souls near Acquaintance and Communion with God . Guilt is the only thing that breeds Alienation . Your Iniquities , says the Prophet , have separated betwixt you and your God , Isa. 59.2 . Nor indeed is it possible that a guilty Sinner should any more delight in Conversing with God , than a guilty Malefactour delights in the presence of his Judge . And therefore we see when Adam had contracted guilt upon himself by eating the Forbidden Fruit , how childishly and foolishly doth he behave himself ? God calls him , and he runs behind a Tree to hide himself ; what a suddain change was here ? Adam , who but a little before was his Creator's Familiar , now dreads and shuns him ; his guilt makes him apprehend God's Call to be no other than a Summons to the Bar. Nor indeed can it be otherwise , but that guilt should produce Alienation betwixt God and the Soul ; for look how distance grows between two familiar Friends , so doth it here : If a Man be Conscious to himself , that he hath done his Friend an Injury ; what Influence hath this upon him ? why , presently it makes him more shy and reserved to him than before . So is it here , Consciousness of guilt fills us with a troublesome ill-natur'd shame ; we are ashamed to look God in the Face , whom we have so much wronged by our sins . And Secondly this shame is always joyned with a slavish and base fear of God , lest he should Revenge himself upon us , for the Injuries that we have done to him ; and both this Shame and Fear , takes off from that holy freedom and boldness , which reverently to use towards God , is the gust and Spirit of our Communion and Fellowship with him ; and all these lessen that sweet Delight in God , that formerly we relisht in the Intimacy of this Heavenly Fellowship : And what can be the final product of all this , but a most sad Alienation , and Estrangement between God and the Soul ? But now Pardon of Sin removes these Obstructions , and causeth the intercourse betwixt God and the Soul to pass free , because it gives the Soul a Holy , and yet Awful Boldness in Conversing with the Great and Terrible Majesty of God . So much sence of Pardon and Reconciliation as we have , so much boldness shall we have ordinarily in our Addresses to God . What 's the Reason the Consciences of Wicked Men drag them before God , and they come with so much Diffidence , Dejectedness , and Jealousie ? Why , it is , because they are Conscious to themselves of guilt that lies upon them , and this makes them look on God rather under the Notion of a Judge , than of a Friend , or Father , and this makes them perform their Duties so distrustfully , as if they would not have God take any notice that they were in his Presence . But when a Pardon'd sinner makes his Addresses to God , he may do it with a Holy freedom , the Face of his Soul looks chearfully , and he Treats with God with an open Heart : What ground is there now for such a Confidence as this is ? For poor vile Dust and Ashes to appear thus before the great God of Heaven and Earth ? Yes , there is ; for Guilt is removed , his Peace is made in the Bloud of Christ , all Enmity is abolished , all Quarrels are decided ; and it becomes not him to serve God with such Suspiciousness as Guilty Sinners do . Hence we have that Expression of the Apostle , Heb. 10.22 . Let us draw near to him in full Assurance of Faith , having our Hearts sprinkled from an evil Conscience , That is , from a Guilty and an Accusing Conscience : Now when the Heart and Conscience is sprinkled with the Bloud of Christ , whereby this Guilt is taken off , then hath a Man good ground to draw near to God , in full Assurance of Faith .

Fourthly , Pardon of Sin lays a good ground for Peace in a Man 's own Conscience . I do not say that Peace of Conscience is always an inseparable Attendant upon Pardon of Sin : For doubtless there are many so unhappy as to have a Wrangling Conscience in their own Bosoms , when God is at Peace with them : But this is certain , That Pardon of Sin lays a solid ground and Foundation for Peace in a Man 's own Conscience , and were Christians but as industrious as they should be in clearing up their Evidences for Heaven , they might obtain Peace whenever they are pardon'd . What is there that disquiets Conscience , but only Guilt ? nothing but the Guilt of Sin doth it ; this is that which rageth and stormeth in Wicked Men , and is as a Tempest within their Breasts ; this is that unseen Scourge that draws Bloud and Groans at every Lash ; this is that Worm that lies perpetually gnawing at the Heart of a Sinner ; this is that Rack that breaks the Bones , and disjoynts the Soul it self . In a word , Guilt is the Fuel of Hell , and the Incendiary of Conscience : were it not for Guilt , there were not a more pleasant and peaceable thing in all the World , than a Man 's own Conscience . Now Pardon of Sin removes this Guilt , and thereby makes Reconciliation between us and our Consciences ; and therefore , says our Saviour , Matth. 9.2 . to the Paralytick Man , Son , be of good chear , thy Sins are forgiven thee ; why might not some say , this is an Impertinent Speech , to say to one that was brought to be cured of a sad Infirmity of Body , That his Sins were forgiven him , whilst yet his Disease was not cured ? Not but our Lord Christ knew , that there was infinitely more cause of Joy and Chearfulness to have Sin Pardon'd , than to have Diseases cured . To have all calm and serene within , not to have a Frown , or Wrinkle upon the Face of the Soul , to have all smooth Thoughts and peaceful Affections ; this is some faint resemblance of Heaven it self , and is never vouchsaft unto any , but where Pardon and the sence of it is given to the Soul .

Pardon of sin takes away the Curse of every Affliction . Fifthly , He whose Sins are Pardon'd may rest assured , that whatever Calamities or Afflictions he may lie under , yet ther● is nothing in them of a Curse or Punishment . It is Guilt alone that diffuset● Poison through the Veins , as of all ou● Enjoyments , so of all Afflictions also and turns them all into Curses . Bu● Pardon of Sin takes away this Venome and makes them all to be Medicina● Corrections , good , profitable , and advantagious to the Soul . See how God by the Prophet expresseth this , Isa. 33.24 . The Inhabitants shall not say they are sick : Why so ? For the People that dwell therein shall be forgiven their Iniquities . When Sin is Pardon'd , outward Afflictions are not worth complaining of : The Inhabitants shall not say , We are Sick ▪ A Disease then becomes a Medicine , when Pardon hath taken away the Curse and Punishment of it . God hath two ends with respect of himself for which he brings Punishments upon us , the one is the Manifestation of his Holiness , the other is for the satisfaction of his Justice . And accordingly , as any Affliction tends to either of these ends , so is it properly a Punishment , or barely a Fatherly Chastisement . If God intends by the Afflictions he lays upon thee , the satisfaction of his Justice , then thy Afflictions are properly Punishments , and they flow from the Curse of the Law , but if the manifestation of his Holiness be all he intends by them , then are they only Fatherly Corrections proceeding from Love and Mercy .

First , Those whose sins God hath pardon'd , he may afflict for the declaration of his Holiness , that they may see , and know what a Holy God they have to deal with ; who so perfectly hates sin , that he will follow it with Chastisements even upon those whom his free Grace hath pardon'd .

Secondly , God inflicts no Chastisements upon those whom he hath pardon'd , for the satisfaction of his Justice : and therefore they are not Curses , nor properly Punishments , but only Corrections and Fatherly Chastisements . Christ hath satisfied the demands of Justice for their Sins , and God is more just , than to exact double satisfaction for the same Offence , one in Christ's Punishment , and another in theirs . The Apostle tells us , Gal. 3.13 . Christ hath Redeemed us from the Curse of the Law , being made a Curse for us . It is not the Evils that we suffer , that makes them Curses , or Punishments , be they never so great ; but only the Ordination of these Evils to the satisfaction of Divine Justice upon us . And therefore Christ in Scripture is said to be made a Curse , not simply because he suffered , but because he was adjudged to his Sufferings , that thereby satisfaction might be made unto the Justice of God . Hence therefore with what calmness and peace may a Pardoned Sinner look upon any Afflictions , though they are sore and heavy , tho they seem to carry much of God's Anger in them ; yet there is nothing of a Curse , or of the nature of a Punishment ; the Sting was all of it received into the Body of Christ , and now God's Righteousness will not suffer him to punish them again in their own Persons , whom he hath already punisht in their Surety . Imagine what Affliction thou canst . Art thou pinched with Want and Poverty ? Doest thou sustain Losses in thy Estate , in thy Relations ? Art thou tormented with Pains , weakned by Diseases , and will all these bring Death upon thee at the last ? Yet , O Soul , if thy Sins are Pardon'd , here is nothing of a Curse , or Punishment in all this , Justice is already satisfied by Christ's bearing the Curse of the Law for thee ; Come what will come , it shall not hurt thee ; Afflictions are all weak and weaponless , they are only the Corrections of a Loving Father , for the manifestation of his Holiness , and for thy Eternal Gain and Advantage . Very sad is the Condition of Guilty Sinners , for whether they know it or not , there is not the least Affliction , not the least Gripe or Pain , not the least slight , or inconsiderable Cross , but it is a Punishment inflicted by God , upon them , for the Guilt of their Sins ; God is now a beginning to satisfie his Justice , and these are sent by him to Arrest and Seize on them ; he now begins to take them by the Throat , and calls upon them to pay him what they owe him . Every Affliction to them is part of Payment , and is exacted from them as part of Payment . O the vast and infinite Sums of Plagues that God will most severely exact from them in Hell , where they shall pay to the utmost Farthing . There is not the least Calamity that befals Wicked and Unpardon'd Sinners , but carries the Venom of a Curse in it , and is inflicted by God upon them in order to the Satisfaction of his Justice on them : which compleat satisfaction he will work out upon them in their Compleat Torments in Hell . So much for this Time and Text.

FINIS .
BOOKS Printed for Nathanael Ranew , at the King's Arms in St. Paul's Church-Yard . NEwly Printed the Works of Josephus , with great Diligence Revised and Amended , according to the Excellent French Translation of Monsieur Arnauld D' Andilly . Also the Embassy of Philo Judaeus , to the Emperour Caius Caligula , never before Translated , with the references of the Scriptures , a new Map of the Holy Land , with divers Copper-Plates , serving to illustrate the History . The Principles of Christian Religion , with a large Body of Divinity Methodically and Familiarly handled , by way of Question and Answer , for the use of Families , with Immanuel , or the Mystery of the Incarnation of the Son of God , by the most Reverend James Vsher , late Arch-Bishop of Armagh . To which is added in this Seventh Edition , Twenty Sermons Preached at Oxford , before his Majesty and elsewhere , with an Alphabetical Table never before extant . The Life of the most Reverend Father in God , James Vsher , late Arch-Bishop of Armagh . With a Collection of Three Hundred Letters between his Lordship , and most of the Eminentest Persons for Piety and Learning in his time , both in England , and beyond the Seas : Published from Original Copies under their own Hands . Practical Preparation for Death , the Interest and Wisdom of Christians , the Folly and Misery of those that are negligent therein , with Directions for the performance thereof , how the Fears of Death may be overcome , with Consolations and Comforts against the Death of Friends and Relations . Proper to be given at Funerals . The Glory and Happiness of the Saints in Heaven , or a Discourse of the Blessed State of the Righteous after Death , largely described , with a Resolution of several Questions and Cases of Conscience relating thereunto . A Present for Servants , from their Ministers , Masters , or other Friends ; proper for the instructing of them in their particular Duties . By Richard Mayo .