Works, Part 1 · Spiritual counsels 1 · Counsel 74
Sinne.
1 I… we goe on still in sinne, God will goe on still in iudgement: but if our hearts relent from sinne, God will release his sentence of punishment.Cause of sin within vsus, occasions without vsus.
2 To a Courtier complaining of the occasions of euill, he said: Though you hauehave occasions of sinne offered, yet the cause of sinne is still in your selfe.
3 Because God worketh the sense of sinne by degrees in his children, he suspected them, who at eueryevery sinne named, would shew themselues forthwith troubled.Sins be linked and chained one in another.
4 Sinne is such a canker that it spreadeth secretly, and there is such a chaine of sinnes, that he that yeeldeth to one, draweth on another; grant a little one, and a great one will follow: wherefore as it is good wisedome not onelyonly to auoide the plague, but to eschewe eueryevery little ragge that may seeme to carrie the plague: so it is heauenly wisedome not onelyonlyHeb. 3. 12. 13. Simile. to auoide grosse sinnes, but all such shewes of sinnes, as may draw on the other. And as we count it pollicie, not to go as neere the riuers banke as we can, least suddenly (or at vnawares we should slip in: so it is a spirituall policie, not to goe too neere sinne, least we be ouertaken of it before we be aware of it.
5 It is our corruption to be scrupulous in sinne, in the beginning: but when we are entred in a little, wee runne ouer head and eares.The triall of our state against any one speciall sinne often assailing vsus.
6 This is a sure experience, whether the sinne which hath often assailed vsus shall get dominion ouer vsus or not: if the oftner we are tempted, the more we are grieued, the more we striue against it, the more we labour for the contrary vertue, we shall shortly be conquerors ouer it. But if the first comming of sinne wrought some griefe in vsus, & the often comming of it, makes our griefe the lesse, and causeth vsus to cease to vse the meanes of with standing it, and to be carelesse in the contrarie vertue, then it were to bee feared that that sinne in time should preuaile against vsus, and that we should get no victory ouer it.
7 Though it is hard to find out our speciall sinnes, yet by often and diligent examiningTo know our speciall sinne. of our selues by earnest prayer, that God would reueale vntounto vsus our sinnes, by often hearing and reading the word, by marking the most checks of our consciences, and reproches of our enemies, we might be led to the neerest sight thereof.
8 If Gods children are readie to slip in a moment; how much more dangerous is theHow the godly feare sinne more thē externall crosses estate of the wicked, who are willing to fall continuallie? It is wonderfull to see a poore sinner ready to swound and fall dead almost at eueryevery sinne, which a man would thinke to be nothing to feare him, or driue him to this feare; and yet when aduersities, straunge iudgements, persecutions, and death doe come, to bee exceeding patient, comfortable, couragious, and valiant. And againe, it is strange to see others, who maruell that men will suffer themselues to be feared with sinnes, and aske what meane men to stand trembling at the word of God: yet let sicknes come, or if the hand of God be vponupon them, or let deathHow the godly & godlesse differ in their ioyes and feares. come towards them, they quake at the name of sicknes, death, or hell; and either they proue very senslesse and blockish, or else they be in a most desperate estate: yea, if God begin to recken with them, eueryevery countenance of a godly man, eueryevery chirping of a bird, and drawing neere of the least and weakest creature towards them, eueryevery shaking of a leafe, mouing of a shadow, eueryevery noyse of the aire appaleth their courage, and maketh them most fearfull cowards. They feare most when Gods iudgements are executed, which feare least when they are threatned: And they feare least when Gods iudgements are accomplished, which tremble most when wrath is denounced. Wherefore if wee long for courage, and lothe cowardise, against the euill day, let vsus labour for a good conscience, which breedethNote. true boldnes, and flie from sinne, which bringeth a spirite of feare vponupon vsus, as daily experience may teach vsus. It is better to feare the euill to come, when only feare, and not euill is vponupon vsus, than to feare then, when besides the feare, the affliction it selfe is come, which so sorely besetteth vsus, that wee hauehave no libertie or leaue to breathe for any comfort, or to hope for any deliuerance.
9 They that will hauehave a true faith in Christ must belieue in him, that he is our wisdome, righteousnes, sanctification, and redemption. Are then thy cogitations confounded? Seest thou no knowledge, not so much as a literall knowledge of Christ, but all is doubtfulnes, all is dulnes, all is deadnes in thee, as though thou neuer knewest, heardest, readest,True remedies against deadnes and au…es. or learnedst any thing? Now know and belieue, that whatsoeuer knowledge, experienced power of vnderstanding, was in Iesus Christ, the same is made thine; hee is thine annoynting, that will teach thee all. Hast thou knowledge, and yet thy life not brought agreeable or proportionable to thy knowledge? Thou art troubled with thy sinnes, thou feelest no goodnes, thou thinkest thy selfe as an euill tree voide of all good fruite: Now rememberChrist is our wisedome. that as Christ being no sinner, was made of God a sinner, and punished of God as a sinner for thee: thou hauing no righteousnesse, art made through Christ righteous, and shalt be rewarded of God as righteous through him. It may be God hath enlightened thee with heauenly vnderstanding, he hath hitherto strengthened thy desire in giuing thee to walke vprightly; but now thou art afraid thou shalt not perseuere, because of thy corruptions: thou tremblest to remember how many excelling thee in gifts and graces hauehave fallen away, and that all is but hypocrisie, thine owne heart thou thinkest will one day begu…le thee: now call to minde that Christ is made vntounto thee holines, not as a new Moses to follow,Christ is our holines. but as a Messias to beleeue in, as the author and finisher, of thy holinesse; so that to perseuere seemeth impossible to thee, yet with him it is possible: yea and more easie to continue thee in holinesse being begun, than to conuert Zacheus, Mathew, and Mary Magdalen, or to reconcile the Lambe and the Lion, & others which he hath surely done. ThereEsa. 11. 3. 4. 5. is one thing yet troubles thee; thou hast many things promised thee, and thou thinkest they are not performed; thou lookest for peace of thy minde, and behold a wound of the spirit; thou art the heire of the whole earth, and yet pinched with pouertie; thou art Lord of libertie, and yet liest in prison: it is so, and yet in all this see Christ is thy redemption,Christ is our redemption. not suffring thee to be ouercome with any of these in this life, & freeing thee wholy from them in the life to come. Admit thou werst cruelly persecuted, cānot he that made the fire not to burne at all the three children in the furnace, make the fire so easily consume thee, as thou shalt comfortablie beare it? Will not he that made the Lions being hungrie, not once to open their mouthes on Daniel, crush thee so greedily that thou shalt willingly sustaine it? Now the meanes are the word, prayer, and Sacraments: the word carrieth the spiritNote. of faith into thy heart; prayer giueth thee a feeling of thy faith; the Sacraments confirme both thy faith and feeling.
10 We must not be proud in our gifts, for God hath in iudgement giuen iudgement toSpirituall pride. many simple ones to spie vsus out. If we confesse to God, we must frankly and freely bring our selues into the presence of God, and lay our hearts naked and b…re before him: we must not as harlots wipe our mouthes and say we hauehave offended, and yet fall into sinne againe: but with remorse of conscience acknowledge them, and with feare and reuerence leaue them.
11 Many thinke it to be easier to confesse their sinnes to God, than to acknowledgeHow hard it is to confesse our sinnes to God. them vntounto men: but it seemeth to be contrary: for he that refuseth to confesse his sinne before man, in whom is but a drop of the indignation against sinne, which is feareful in the Lord, will not willingly open them and strip them naked before the maiestie of God. And he that can frankly stand as a penitent before God and his Angels, he will not sticke to confesse his sinne before the face of men. Behold our father Adam whilest there was no man to feare him, the Lord commeth at the first to him by pricke of cōscience, he hideth himselfe with figtree leaues: to this pricke of conscience the Lord sendeth a voyce or a noise that is heard: Now not content with a few leaues, he goeth into the thicket of wood: at the length the Lord to draw him out of his hypocrisie, bringeth him into the plaine, & vrgeth him with substantial questions: he not able to hide himselfe any longer, hideth … sinne, and shifteth it off to Eua. Why doth the holy Ghost thus orderly & particularly set downe this matter, but to shew that though we hauehave a pricke of sinne by nature in part to confesse sinnes, yet nakedly to vncase thy sinnes before God, is a hard thing to flesh and blood, the Diuell lying by, prompting vsus, that in so doing we shall bring our selues to despaire, we shall runne out of our wits, we shall kill our selues, and neuer liue merrie day againe? In that notable Psalme of instruction, 32. we are taught, that then there is hope our sinnes are forgiuen, when God emptying our harts of all guile, we can be content freely to giuegive God the glorie, and to shame our selues before men. We see when his great affliction could not bring him to confesse his sinne, yet no comfort came to him, vntill by Gods grace he grew to this issue, that he reckoned vp the whole catalogue of his great sinnes: soSundrie euasions of sinners. hard a thing it is to confesse our sinnes before God.
12 It is our great corruption, being admonished or charged of sinne, we either denie it to be a sin, or we denie our selues to hauehave sinned in that sinne, or we quarrell and wrangle1 about the nature of sin, or else we coūtenance our selues by Scriptures, as the Familists do2 couer many iniquities, by making plaine places allegories; or if we confesse, it is in great3 hypocrisie; or if we confesse in some truth, yet we goe not out of the sinne. HowsoeuerAdmonition. 4Popish confession hath made a cloake for sinne, so as now a theefe on the gallowes5 6ready to fall into the graue, & into hell both at once, will say, it is sufficient to confesse my sinnes vntounto God, thogh I do not so vntounto men: yet I say, there is no greater tokē of grace, than when for the glorie of God or good of the brethren, wee can be content to discouer and lay open our selues. If none of these excuses serue, then we can say, why, this is a common7 thing, I am not alone, better then I hauehave done so; or else, such a one prouoked me to8 doe thus, or else I had not done it; or else we are very fraile, and may not you sinne? or was9. 10. there euer any that sinned not? Thus we are euen as daintie as Gentlewomen, who hauing a sore, which they are loth to hauehave esp…ed, will couer it till it be incurable▪ so wee, hauing some sinnes, are loth to open them, vntill they growe almost vnrecouerable.
13 EueryEvery man is afraide of this, least his sinne should breake out, yet eueryevery one vsethDiscouer & confesse the mother sinne. the way of breaking out. Nothing more stayeth sinne, then to make it knowne in time. Nothing draweth it sooner forth, than too long to conceale it. It may be some will confesse some sinnes; yea many sinnes, and yet hide the mother sinne, whose life if we continue, howsoeuer we may murther some of her broode, yet she will hatch new sinnes againe.
14 When thou art afraid thou shalt go out of thy wit, because thou fearest sinne; when thou canst dispute and preach more fearfully against thy selfe, then all the preachers in the1 world: remember how Christ Iesus hauing no holines by the flesh, by being of his owneConsolations against diuers kindes of griefe…. mother (to the testification whereof it pleased him to be borne of such a one, whose progenitors were notable sinners, to keepe company with such as were the most miserable wretches, to call to the greatest dignitie in the Church, the prophanest tole▪ gatherers, persecutors & worldlings) hath giuen thee an holines vnperfect, & would not hauehave thee to looke for any great things in thy selfe, seeing hee hauing put on thy flesh, got no gaine thereby at all. It may be the multitude of thy sinnes trouble thee, & therefore thou thinkest, now2 it is hard to make thee an holy one. Consider how Mary Magdalene had seuen spirits, and yet of all women was made most deuout; & after Christ his resurrection receiued greatest3 dignitie to see him first. It may be the great continuāce of thy sin troubles thee: remember how Christ called Matthew, who long time had weltered in worldlines. It may be the greatnes of thy sinnes feare thee: consider how the greatest persecutor of the Church was4 made of all other, the most glorious preacher of the Gospell. It may be thy sinnes drawne5 from thy countrey grieue thee: the Cretians were good Christians, and the filthy Corinthians, 6became most faithfull professors. It may be thine hereditarie sinnes by nature moue thee to despaire of helpe: consider, he that can so farre ouerrule nature, that the wolfe shall dwell with the Lambe, the Leopard lie with the kidde, Esai: 11. 5. 6. he can also change that course of nature in thee, by a supernaturall grace. And yet as I would hauehave thee to beware, so to trust in Christ his righteousnes, as thou forget not, he is also thine holines: and so to labour for thine holines in him, that thou forget not he is thy righteousnes: but so to labour for both, as if thou beest righteous, thou must also be holie: and being neuer so holie, yet to seeke for thy whole righteousnes before God in Christ onelyonly.
15 Many feebled and exercised minds are often cast downe without hope of helpe, because of their owne vnworthines, as thogh there were no comfort to be obtained of God, vnlesse wee bring of our owne fruits to present him withall: but this were to discredit the Lords mercies, and to bring in credit our merites, and rather to binde the Lord to vsus, thanConsolation against the feare of our owne vnworthines. vsus to him. But what meaneth this? There is with the Lorde plentifull redemption: and therefore Israell need not to feare to finde merciemercy; if our sinnes be great, our redemption is greater; though our merits be beggarly, Gods merciemercy is a rich merciemercy. If our peril be not come euen to a desperate case, and that wee be as it were vtterly lost, and past hope of recouerie, there is no praise of redemption. Heere then is the power and profit of our redemption, that when all sinnes goe ouer our heads, and heauen and earth, the Sunne and Moone, and the Starres come as it were in iudgement against vsus, yet a cleare and full raunsome shall be giuen into our hands, wherewith to purchase our redemption, and so to procure our perfect deliuerance beyond all expectation: and so as it were to fetch something out of nothing. We see for example, in sicknes to hauehave either little daunger, or in great daunger to hauehave deliuerance by present meanes, is nothing: but in extremitie and perill, when Physicke can doe no good, and make nothing for vsus, to keepe vsus from the graue, then aboue and beyond all this to be rescued therefro, and to recouer our life from the pits brinke, is a worke highly deseruing: So though God driuevs to ordinarie meanes, this is not to withdraw our redemption in vsing the meanes, but to traine vp our faith, that after hee may make knowne that he hath an helpe beyond all helpes, and much redemption. And this is needfull for vsus to learne: for if the meanes be manie, we rest in them: but if they be fewe, and faint, the meditation of this redemption will be most comfortable.
15 It is an experiment of Gods Children, that by prayer sinnes receiue their deadly wound, and a temptation by resistance: yea, we shall finde it both sooner to depart, and toSinne is wounded by prayer, and temptation by resistance. recompence the present and little paine, with an after and longer pleasure: and contrarywise the not resisting thereof, causeth it the further to feed in vsus, and the small present pleasing of our selues, is payed with a long bitter griefe of conscience afterward.
16 If we will truely learne how to auoide sinnes, let vsus remember oft what punishment we hauehave felt for sinne. If wee will be kept from vnthankfulnes, we must oft call to minde the things that the Lord hath done for his glorie, and our soules health in vsus.