Sins Overthrow, Part 3
HOW TO MORTIFIE UNCLEANNES.
COLOSSIANS 3. 5.
Mortifie therefore your members which are upon the earth: Fornication, Vncleannesse, Inordinate affection, evill Concupiscence, and Covetousnesse, which is Idolatry.
HAving handled the Doctrine of Mortification in generall, as also come to some particulars, namely, that of Fornication; it now remaineth that in the next place, following the method and order of the Apostle, I come to the next particular sinne named in the Text, Vncleannesse: And because these two sinnes doe in many things coincidere, and differ not greatly in any thing that I can set downe as meanes to prevent them, for what hath beene said of the one may serve for the other; therefore I shall be the briefer in this, and may p…rchance make use of some of the things spoken formerly in the discovering of the haynousnesse of Fornication. The Doctrine then that we shall at this time insist on, is, That
Vncleannesse is one of the sinnes that are here to be mortified.Doctr.
This sinne of Uncleannesse most Interpreters make The haynousnesse of the sinne of uncleannesse.to be the sinne of Onan, Gen. 38. 9. and the haynousnesse thereof appeares, in that God was so displeased with him for it, that he slew him presently. Besides, the grievousnesse thereof is is manifest, in that throughout the whole booke of God wee finde not any name appropriated unto it, as if God could not give name bad enough, or would not vouchsafe it any, because men should not know it at all. But now particularly I will lay open the vilenesse of it, by these foure arguments.
First, the haynousnesse of it appeares, because that it 1.makes a man that is guilty of it, a man of death; you may see it in the example of Onan, Gen. 38. 9. before mentioned, God cut him off presently, hardly gave any space for repentance. Where sudden judgement lights upon a man, it is a fearefull thing, and argues the greatnesse of Gods displeasure against that sinne; now where Gods wrath is so exceedingly inflam'd against a sinne, we must needs conclude that sinne to bee very sinfull, and of an high nature.
Secondly, it is an unnaturall sinne: All sinne is so much the more haynous, as it is opposite to the nature 2of a man. Wee read but of three sinnes against nature, whereof this is one; namely, bestiality, Sodomy, and this; and therefore it must needs be of an high ranke, and consequently a most notorious vilde sinne.
Thirdly, the manner of it aggravates it exceedingly; 3all things done against ones selfe, are the more hainous; as selfe-murther is of an higher nature than murther of another; and the reason is, because all creatures by nature seeke the preservation of themselves: in like manner, selfe-uncleannesse is a great aggravation unto it.
Fourthly and lastly, that sinne which is made the 4punishment of another, is ever the greater sinne; now God hath made this sinne to be the punishment of all other sinnes, for after a man hath long continued in other sinnes, at last God gives him up to this sinne as to a punishment of the former: and therefore questionlesse it is a great and an haynous sinne.
Now since you have seene the haynousnesse of this sinne, in the next place I will shew you the manifold The deceits of Satan to draw men on to the acting of this sinne.deceits of Satan, whereby men are provoked to the commission of this filthy sinne.
First, Men doe goe on in the committing of this 1sinne, because they doe hope to repent afterwards.
For answer of this, I say, that man who hath a will to sinne, doth harden himselfe more and more by sinne; and this sinne of Uncleannesse being a great sinne, it doth harden the heart the more, and doth the more indispose a man towards God.
A man by common reason would thinke that great sinnes doe make the heart to be more sensible; but indeed it doth not so, for it takes away the sense. Great sinnes are a meanes to harden the heart, so that it cannot repent: Prov. 2. 19. None that goe unto her returne againe, neither doe they take hold of the paths of life; which is meant of repentance: for God doth not give Prov. 2. 19.repentance to this sinne, because it is a sinne so evident against the light of Nature; as Ezech. 24. 16. Sonne of man, behold, I take from thee the desire of thine eyes with a stroake, yet neither shalt thou mourne nor weepe, neither shall thy tcares runne downe: that is, if man will refuse the time of repentance which God doth offer unto him, when he would repent then God doth deny him: It is not in him that willeth, nor in him that runneth, but of God: God will have merciemercy upon whom hee will have merciemercy, Rom. 9. 16.
Now to shew what Repentance is:
Repentance is a change of the heart, whereby a man is become What Repentance is.a new creature, having an inward affection to that which is good, and a loathing and detestation of that which is bad. To shew that Repentance is the change of the heart, see how the Prophet Hosea, Chapt. 7. 14. doth reprove the Israelites for their howling on their beds, because Hos. 7. 14.their Repentance was not from their hearts; they did howle much, as it were, for their sinnes, but yet their Repentance was not from the heart, and therfore nothing availeable to them. True Repentance doth turne the disposition of the heart of a man another way then it went before.
Another meanes that Satan useth to delude the hearts of men, and cause them to be set upon evill, is, The second deceit of Satan.because they doe not see the punishment due for sinne to be presently executed upon sinners: For Answer of this; In that God doth spare to punish sinne, no man hath cause to joy in it. God is mercifull, and doth heare many times a long while with men not to punish them for sinne, to see if they will returne unto him, and repent: But as long as man doth continue in any sinne without repentance, so long doth hee abuse Gods patience every day and howre, Rom. 2. 4. Thinkest thou this, O man, and despisest thou the riches Rom. 2. 4.of his goodnesse, forbearance, and long-suffering, not knowing that the goodnesse of God leadeth thee to Repentance: Vers. 5. But after the hardnesse and impenitencie of heart, treasurest up wrath unto thy selfe against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgement of God.
Another Deceit that Satan useth to provoke men The third deceit of Satan.unto this sinne, is, to judge of uncleannesse by common opinion; that is, to weigh this sinne in a false ballance, and to looke upon it in a false glasse, and not to carry it to the ballance of the Sanctuary of the Lord, and therefore many times they esteeme great sinnes to be little sinnes, and little sinnes to be none at all; when men doe thus mistake sinne, they judge of it otherwise than it is: As when bad company are together, they doeall allow and approve of sinne, and so evill words doe corrupt good manners; and in their opinions 1 Cor. 15. 33.doe make sinne to be no sinne at all; not considering that place, Titus 2. 14. That Christ gave himselfe Titus 2. 4.for us to redeeme us from all iniquitie, and to purifie unto himselfe a peculiar people, zealous of good workes. When a man hath committed sinne, his Conscience is defiled, and so can no more judge of sinne aright, than one that would discerne of colours in a foule and soyled glasse; but when the Conscience is cleare, it sees things as they are, and so is able to judge of sinne by that rule by which our selves shall be judged at the last day: There is a sanctifying Spirit, which if wee had, we should judge of sinne aright; and the rule whereby we are to try sinne, is the written Word of God.
Fourthly, Satan useth to provoke men to this sinne, The fourth deceit of Satan.when they can commit it in secret, then will they bee bold to doeit: But consider, God sees in secret, and he will reward them openly: Mat. 6. 4. Give thine almes Matth. 6. 4.in secret, and thy father that is in secret will reward thee openly: Now wee may judge by the rule of contrarieties, that if God doe see Almes that are done in private, and will reward them openly, may not we thinke that he will doe the like of sinne: For so hee did by David, hee spared not him though he were his owne 2 Sam 12. 12.servant: 2 Sam. 12. Thou didst this sinne secretly, but I will doe this thing before all Israel, and before the Sunne. And thus they goe on boldly in this sinne, thinking they shall escape well enough if they can doe it secretly, and not bee seene of men; but they in this despising of God, make God to despise them. Consider, oh man, the many wayes God hath to reveale sinne that is committed in secret: Eccles. 10. 20. Curse not the Eccles. 10. 20.King, no not in thy thought; and curse not the rich, no not in thy bed-chamber; for a bird of the ayre shall carry the voyce, and that which hath wings shall tell the matter. Sinne that hath beene committed in secret, shall bee discovered by wayes that a man thought unpossible: Evill men are as a glasse that is sodered together; as soone as the sother is melted, the glasse doth fall in peeces: So they that are companions in evill, may for a time be true the one to the other, but yet the Lord will one way or other discover their iniquities, so that they shall fall in peeces like a broken potsharde; yea, perhaps the Sinner himselfe shall confesse his sinne, as Iudas did.
The last Deceit which Satan doth use to provoke The fift deceit of Satan.men unto this sinne, is with the present delight which they have unto it: To this I answer, as Christ in Mat. 5. 27. Thou shalt not commit adulterie, for whosoever looketh upon a woman to lust after her, hath committed adultery already with her in his heart. If thy right eye offend thee, plucke it out and cast it from thee, for it is profitable that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole bodie should be cast into hell fire. Therefore, I say, it were better for thee to leave thy delight, than to have thy soule damned in hell for ever: by leaving thy sinne thou dost not leave thy delight, for then thou hast a new heart, new desires and affections to delight in better things; so that the forsaking of sinne is but a change of delight, and those sinnes which have the greater delight in them, shall have the greater torment, as doth appeare out of Revel. 18. 7. concerning Babylon, The more pleasure she had, the more should her torments and sorrowes be.
Thus have I dispatched, in briefe, this sinne of uncleannesse, insisting and inlarging onelyonly some two or three of the Deceits whereby the devill doth beguile the sonnes of men, and lead them captive to the commission of this slavish and abominable sinne; for motives and helpes against it, I referre you to those I produced in the handling of Fornication.
FINIS.