A Care Cloth, Sermon 1 · Chapter 4
CHAP. IV. Shewing the equitie of the dutie.
WE hauehave heard how needfull,Thirdly, from the equitie of the dutie. and profitable mortification is: let vsus ſee alſo how equall it is. No neede, nor profit ſhould draw vsus to that, which is vnequall; but when equitie is ioyned to profit and neceſſitie, then ſhould the worke be done, without further delay. Now it is moſt equall that we kill our ſinnes, whether we conſider God, or Chriſt, or our ſelues, or ſin it ſelfe.For ſinne is Gods enemy. Firſt, for God; Hee is our Soueraigne Lord and King, and ſinne is his moſt mortall enemie: wherefore it is moſt equall, that wee ſhould fight againſt it; for ſubiects muſt oppoſe the enemies of their Prince, with al their power. The Scripture tels vsus,Duet. 13.6, 7, 8, 9. that if father, or mother, or brother, or ſiſter, or kinſwoman, or friend, ſhould goe about to draw a man from God, his hand ſhould be firſt againſt them, to put them to death. Now ſinnes of all ſorts, doe ſeeke to draw vsus from God, wherefore our eye muſt not ſpare them, neither muſt wee fauour them, but wee muſt bee ſeuere againſt them, and as it were, ſtone them with ſtones, vntill they bee dead. It is a moſt righteous and equal thing, that notorious Rebels and malefactors ſhould bee ſlaine without pitie; and luſts are the groſſeſt of all malefactors, which doe moſt prouoke God, and oppoſe themſelues againſt his honour. Therefore if we hauehave any regard of his honour, what ſhould we doe, but lay hold vponupon them, and purſue them to the very death? Should we ſpare, or forbeare to kill the foes and aduerſaries of the Lord our God? were not this to make our ſelues his enemies alſo?
2. Againe, hath not our ſin ſlaine Chriſt,Sinne is a murtherer of Chriſt. and ſhall not we, in an holy reuenge, be eager againſt it, to kill it? If any man hauehave ſlaine our Parent, or Brother, or Siſter, or Child, we thinke it our dutie to follow after him, and perſecute againſt him, till we hauehave brought him to a well-deſerued end. The next of Kin in the Law, was alwayes the auenger of bloud, and to him it appertained to hunt after the murtherer, to bring vponupon his head, the innocent bloud that hee had ſhed. If therefore we will ſhew our ſelues brethren, or ſiſters of Chriſt, or any thing of Kin vntounto him, we muſt euen bee auengers of his bloud vponupon ſinne; for, for our ſinnes was his bloud ſhed, and theſe are the things that hauehave ſlaine him, and for which he made his ſoule a facrifice. A thiefe, a traytor, a murderer, ought in all reaſon to be executed, and eueryevery man will thinke it fit to lend his helping hand, to the diſpatching of one, that hath ſo many wayes deſerued death. Sinne is a thiefe; for it robs God of his honour and glorie. It is a traytor; for it ſtriues to thruſt God from his regall authoritie and dominion. A murtherer; for it ſlew Chriſt Ieſus our elder brother, and ſeekes to ſlay our owne ſoules; for theſe be the luſts that fight againſt our ſoules, as Peter tels vsus. What can bee more equall, then that wee ſtriue to deſtroy vtterly, and to roote out, and make a cleane riddance of ſo vile a thing as this?
3. And for our ſelues, doth not equitie require, that a man ſhould faithfully keepe all good and lawfull promiſes and couenants? Now we hauehave couenanted with God in our Baptiſme,We hauehave vowed to forſake ſinne. to fight againſt the deuill, and all ſinfull luſts. In that Sacrament we did bind our ſelues (as by a ſolemne military oath) to bee the ſouldiers of Ieſus Chriſt, and to fight vnderunder his Banner, againſt the Deuill, the World, and the Fleſh: Shall we become foreſworne & periured perſons, as it were ſouldiers, forſaking their Colors, caſting down their weapons, and running away from their Captaine? God forbid. Doe we not often renew in the Lords Supper the Couenant wee made in Baptiſme? It is certainely one part of the dutie, whereto we tie ourſelues in that holy Sacrament, to ſeeke the death of ſinne in vsus that procured the death of Chriſt for vsus. Seeing we hauehave often reiterated our Couenant of God, of fighting againſt theſe luſts, let vsus be aſhamed to be found breakers of ſo many, and ſo iuſt promiſes. Seeing we hauehave taken Chriſts liuerie vponupon vsus, and hauehave giuen our names to him, to be ſouldiers in his Campe, it is moſt fit and equall, that we ſhould be true and valiant ſouldiers, manfully reſiſting his, and our enemies, the greateſt, and principalleſt of which, wee know to bee theſe members vponupon earth. Let vsus therefore arme our ſelues to this battell, and make no peace with the things, with which God will neuer bee at peace, and abhorre to ſhew our ſelues either perfidious and falſe, or timorous and faint-hearted ſouldiers.
4. Laſt of all, let vsus conſider what ſinne is,Sinne is an vnreaſonable thing. and we ſhall find it moſt righteous to ſubdue and deſtroy it. Sinne is a moſt vile and abſurd thing, contrarie to all right, and to all true reaſon, alluring vsus to it ſelfe, with none but falſe, vaine, and counterfeit enticements; nothing therefore can bee more equall, then that a thing ſo moſt vnequall be reſiſted, and ſtriuen againſt, with vtter diſlike. Sinne doth a man no good at all, but much harme and miſchieſe: it is like a diſeaſe, good for nothing but to vexe and torment him, in whom it breedeth. It allureth vsus with ſhews of profit, pleaſure, credit, eaſe, and the like: but it is a meere coozener and deceiuer, and euermore beguileth vsus in the end, and we ſhall vtterly miſſe of our hopes, if we truſt to its offers, and follow its allurements. It will bring vsus loſſe, in ſtead of profit, euen the loſſe of an heauenly Kingdome. It will reward vsus with torment, in ſtead of pleaſure, euen with the torment of eternall fire. It will requite vsus with ſhame, in ſtead of credit, euen with euerlaſting reproach and confuſion; in ſtead of eaſe, it will procure anguiſh; for tribulation and anguiſh ſhall for euer lye vponupon the ſoule of euerie one that worketh wickedneſſe, vponupon the Iew firſt, and alſo vponupon the Gentile. Can any thing bee thought more equall, then that ſo egregious a coozener, ſo errand a lyer, ſo falſe a companion, that is made all of lyes, guile, fraud and impoſture, ſhould bee euen apprehended, and hanged vp out of the way (as we vſe to ſpeake) that it may beguile vsus no longer.