Lectures Upon Psalm 51, Part 5 · Lecture 57
Lecture LVII. On Psalme 51.5. May 15. 1627.
WE have already heard that from these words being opened and cleared from the cavills of the Anabaptists, these three doctrines do naturally arise. 1. That every infant so soone as it is borne and conceived standeth guilty of sinne before God, and is by nature the child of wrath. 2. That this sinne that every infant standeth guilty of by nature, and whereby it doth deserve eternall damnation, is derived to it from Adam by the parents. 3. That this sin which every infant is guilty of, and which is derived to it from Adam by the parents is the chiefe sin, and that which above all others may make us odious and abominable unto God. The two former of these doctrines we have already finished, it followeth now that we proceed unto the third and last of them.
Nota.We must therefore observe, that David doth not mention heere the sinfullnesse and corruption of his nature wherein he was borne and conceived, to lessen or extenuate the murder and adultery that he had committed; as if his meaning had beene, to say unto God, Lord there is cause thou shouldst pitie me and have mercy on me, and not lay these sinnes to my charge, seeing I could do no otherwise, I did but my kind, the corruption of my nature which I received from my parents was the cause of it; No no, he hath no purpose at all heere to minse or lessen his sin, to excuse or defend himselfe before God; but for his further humiliation and abasing himselfe before God, he aggravateth his sinne, and ascendeth in his confession to an higher step and degree of it. As if he had said, I have not onelyonly sinned against thee, and done this evill (of adultery and murder) in thy sight, but I have done it out of the corruption of my vile nature; I was not drawne to it, through the violence of any sudden tentation but mine owne filthy nature drew me to it, I am not onelyonly guilty of this adultery and murder, but I am more vile then so, for I have in me, and had so soone as I had any being, a fountaine of all sinne for which thou maiest justly abhorre me, and I loath my selfe much more, then for my other sinnes; For when they are repented of, and I am delivered from the guilt and power of them, yet this cursed root of all sinne that is in me, will never be destroied till I be destroied my selfe. This is the meaning of David here; And therefore 1. He doubleth the words of this complaint, which he maketh here unto God, of his originall sin the corruption of his nature I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sinne my mother conceived mee. 2. He setteth before this his complaint of the corruption of his nature, this word of attention behold; as if hee should say, this, this is it that humbleth me, most of all. And from these words then wherein David doth in this manner complaine unto God of the corruption of his nature, we have this doctrine to learne for our owne instruction.
That our originall sinne, Doct. 19that corruption of nature wherein wee were borne and conceived is the sinne of all others, fro which the Lord may most justly abhorre us, and for which we should be most humbled, and abased in our selves.
See the proofe of both the branches of this doctrine distinctly.
First,Branc. 1 That this is the sinne for which the Lord may most justly abhorre us. Man (saith Eliphaz, Iob 15.16.) that is every man (which must needs be understood in respect of his nature) is filthy and abominable in his sight. And the Apostle, Ephes. 2.3. We are even by nature the children of wrath. As if he had said, If we had no other sinne but that, the very sinfullnesse of our nature, maketh us worthy of Gods wrath and odious unto him. This truth the Lord shaddowed out to his people under the law, by sundry ceremonies; For whereas you shall find few or no lawes made for the shutting men out from the tabernacle (which was a type of heaven) for actuall sinnes, there are many against them that were defiled with such impurities as did typify the corruption of our nature, by originall sinne. The leper though he were a King might not be suffered to come into the house of the Lord, as you shall find, 2 Chron. 26.21. Nor the woman that had borne a child for a good space after her child-birth, Levit. 12.4. Nor he that had touched the dead body of a man. Num. 9.7. & 19.11. Nor he that had the running of the reines, Levit. 15.14. Yea see what the Lord saith to Moses, Numb. 5.2, 3. Command the children of Israel, that they put out of the campe every Leper, and every one that hath an issue, and whosoever is defiled by the dead; both male and female shall ye put out, without the Campe yee shall put them, that they defile not their camps in the midst whereof I dwell. Certainely by all these ceremonies, God meant to teach his people this, that no sinne maketh us more odious unto God, no sin deserveth more that we should be forever seperated from God and his kingdome, then the very corruption of our nature doth.
Now for the second branch of the doctrine,Branc. 2 that our originall sinne the corruption of our nature is the sinne for which wee should bee most humbled and abased in our selves; see the proofe of it in foure notable examples, besides this of Davids, which we have in the Text; examples (I say) of such of Gods people, as being not guilty of any actuall sinne, that did reigne in them yet have complained exceedingly and cryed out of themselves even for this. The first is of Iob who though in respect of his conversation he was a perfect man and upright, and one that feared God and eschewed evill, Chap. 1.1. yet Chap. 40.4. he cryeth out thus unto God, Behold I am vile what shall I answer thee? As if he had said, How shall I appeare or stand before thee? The second is the Prophet Esay who so soone as he had seene the glory of the Lord, in a vision and by that meanes discerned what himselfe was, better then ever he did before; breaketh forth into this complaint, Esa. 6.5. Wo is me for I am undone. The third example is the Apostle Paul, of whom you shall not find that ever he complained so bitterly, of any of the foulest sinnes that he had committed before he knew Christ, as he doth of this, Rom 7.24 O wretched man that I am, who shall deliver me from the body of this death; this was a death to him, and nothing so much as this. The fourth and last example is that of the whole Church, Esa. 64.6. We are all as an uncleane man; using the very words that the Leper was commanded to use and to cry Levit. 13.45. I am uncleane I am uncleane, worthy to bee separated for ever from God and from his people.
Reason.Now for the grounds and reasons of the Doctrine why the Lord hath so just cause to abhorre us for this corruption of our nature and why we have so just cause likewise to be humbled in our selves for it, they may be taken from the properties and effects of it. For as Adam by that first sinne of his, (which excepting onelyonly the sinne against the Holy Ghost, was in sundry respects the most heinous sinne that ever mortall man did commit; and which sinne of his, as we have heard in the first doctrine of this verse, is most justly imputed unto every one of us) as he (I say) by that first sinne of his, did loose from himselfe and all his posterity, that glorious image of God in which he was created, and whereby he did wholly resemble the Lord in wisdome, and holinesse; so did he thereby also receive for himselfe and his whole posterity the image of Satan, and was transformed into it. Whereby it is come to passe, that we do all by nature (a fearefull thing to heare and yet a certaine truth) most lively in our disposition resemble Satan. Let us therefore consider our nature and the corruption of it in the properties and effects of it, and it shall evidently appeare unto us, that there is no creature upon earth, that hath so venimous, and poisonfull a nature, as every one of us have. Neither will I speake of such properties and effects of originall sin, as are to be found in the naturall man onelyonly, and him that is void of all saving grace, but of those that every one of us, and the best of Gods children (such as David and Iob, and Esay, and Paul were) shall find in themselves. And those are foure principally.
First, This corruption of our nature depriveth us of the comfort of our best actions, and maketh the dearest of Gods children heavie and uncheerefull even in those duties wherein they have most cause to bee comfortable and cheerfull according to that commandement of God, Psal. 100.2. Serve the Lord with gladnesse. For this flesh of ours, this corruption of our nature. 1. Disableth us unto spirituall duties, maketh us unwilling, untoward, dull, and cold, and faint in them, so as we performe them with no lust, no life, no servency of spirit. This the Apostle complaineth of, Rom. 7.18. I know that in me (that is in my flesh) dwelleth no good thing: For to will is present with me (through grace he meaneth) but how to performe that which is good I find not. Heb. 12.1. It easily besetteth us on every side, to hinder us from running in any way of Gods commandements. 2. It will shew and intermingle it selfe, and will not be kept out of doors, no not for a moment when we purpose and go about the best duties, but it will be medling and have a finger even in them. When I would do good (saith the Apostle, Rom. 7.21.) evill is present with me. 3. It will crosse 3. It will crosse and oppose the spirit and interrupt the worke of it, stirring up such thoughts and motions as are quite contrary, and opposite unto it. I see (saith blessed Paul, Rom. 7.23) another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind. And Gal. 5.17. The flesh lusteth against the spirit, and these are contrary the one to the other, so that ye cannot do the things that ye would. Yea 4. by these and such like meanes it defileth our best duties, and maketh them not onelyonly unworthy of all reward with God, but worthy to be rejected and loathed by him; as the Church complaineth, Esa. 64.6. All our righteousnesses are as filthy raggs.
Secondly, It draweth the best of us to offend God oft. 1. Even to doe that that we do not onelyonly know to be evill, but that also that our hearts do hate. In many things (saith the Apostle, Iam. 3.2.) we offend all. And Paul, Rom. 7.15. What I hate that I doe; and verse 23. It bringeth me into captivity to the law of sinne. 2. Yea it is restlesse, and never giveth over working this way. Like thtroubled sea (as the Prophet speaketh, Esa. 57.20) which cannot rest, whose waters cast up mire and dirt. This root and fountaine is ever springing and putting forth one corruption or other. Every imagination of the thoughts of our hear… (saith the Lord, Gen. 6.5.) is onelyonly evill, continually. When we have by faith and repentance mortified one sin and cleansed our selves of it, another will rise out of the ashes of it this vile nature of ours will cast up some other mire and dirt, some wretched motion or other, to defile us withall. 3. And what are the motions and lusts it will stirre up in us? Surely there is no sin so foule and unnaturall but we shall find it will be ready to stirre up motions and incli…ations unto it, even in the best of Gods children▪ motions of atheisme and blasphemy; motions of desparation, and of every other foule sin. Sin wrought in me (saith the Apostle, Rom. 7.…) all mann…r of concupiscence.
Thirdly, It is an universall corruption, and leprosie that goeth over the whole man, the understanding, and conscience, and memory, and will, and affections all are corrupted by it. It is a leaven that sowreth the whole lump, as the Apostle speaketh, 1 Cor. 5.6.
Fourthly, and lastly, We can never be rid of it, while we live. It dwelleth in us as the Apostle speaketh, Rom. 7.17. It is an inmate that will never be gotten out, till the house be pulled downe. It is an hereditary disease (as we have heard) which no Physician can cure; that that is bred in the bone will never out of the flesh.