A True and Perfect Way to Win Careless Sinners, Part 4 – Poem
Sinne no more, leſt a worſe thing come vntounto you.
IT is ſaid in the holy Scripture, in diuers & ſundry places, that Odioſ Ioh. 5. 14. Wiſd. 14. 9. Pſal. 5. 6. Pſal. 14. 4. Prou. 15. 8. Iohn 12. 5 …. Eſay 1. 15. Pſal. 5. 9. eſt Deo impius & impietas eius: God hateth the wicked man & his wickednes too: He hateth all thoſe that work iniquity; both the wicked man, and al his wickednes, are in hatred with him; Yea, the whole life of ſinners, as much as their very thoughts, tMat. 12. 37. Wiſd. 1. 9. 1 Cor. 5. 10. Rom. 10. 12. Eccl. 12. 14. 1 Pet. 4. 5. Mat. 12. 18.words and deeds God hateth. They are abhomination in his gracious ſight, hée cannot abide them, but ſaith, He that committeth ſin, is of the Deuilla1 Iohn 36.; and therefore, their names ſhallbPro. 10. 7. …ot, their dwelling place ſhall notcIohn 5. 2. remaine, for a worſe thing ſhall come vntounto *Ioh. …. 14.them, their deſtruction ſhall come ſuddenly, when they leaſt thinke of dPro. 14. 22. 1 Pet. 3. 10.it: hee doth not only ſay, their houſes ſhalbe ePro. 11. 14.deſtroyed, but alſo they themſelues ſhalbe no more fIob 24. 20.remembred, becauſe they ſhall be taken in the ſin of their gPro. …1. 5.owne tranſgreſſion: And farther yet, he cannot abide, nor permit ſinners to praiſe hPſal. 14. 4. Wiſd. 14. 9. Pſal. 5. 6.him: but cutteth them off ſuddenly, in ſo much as many hauehave not time to think on God, or once to cry, Lord helpe me; and therefore no maruell if he ſhew ſuch rigour to ſinners at the laſt day, when their worſe thing iGen. 19. 24. Exo. 14. 29. Num. 21 6. Nu. 16. 32. Acts 12. 23. Luke 12. …0. Acts. …. 10. Iud. 3. 21. …. 2. Sam. 2. 27.ſhall come vntounto them, that is the dreadfull ſentence of Chriſt: Quantum in delitiis fuit, tantum date illi tormentum: Looke how much he hath béene in delights (of his ſinne) ſo much torment do you lay vponupon him: where and when hée or they ſhall behold the great, terrible kRe…. 18. 7.feareful, and angry countenance of that mighty GodlExod. 6. 2. Iehouah, aboue them to be their Iudge mGe. 18. 2…. Mat. 16. …5. Mat. 16. …7. Rom. 4. 4. Heb. 12. 23. Ioh. 3. 22. Pſal …6. 13. Iam. 4. 12.with a ſword of Vengeance in the one hand to nDeut. 22. 41.terrifie them, and a ſcabart of Iuſtice in the other hand to judge them; and their ſin on the one ſide, to accuſe and cry for Vengeance againſt them; and thoſe curſed aGen. 3. 14.Serpents, thoſe vgly bEſay 27. 1.Monſters, thoſe damned ſpirits, cMat. 25. 41.thoſe houling helhounds, dPſal. 22. 16.on the other ſide, to executee 1 Pet. 5. 8. Iohn 5. 14. Eſa. 30. 33. the vengeance of this worſe thing that ſhal come vntounto them, (which is) Gods eternal wrath and damnation; their conſcience gnawing within them: without them al damned ſoules that continued in their ſinnes, bewailing; and beneath them, Gehenna, that infernal pit of hell open, and the cruel fornace ready to deuoure them: without, and on eueryevery ſide of them, all the world burning on fire. O then what ſhall they doe? to goe backward is impoſſible, and to appeare, intollerable: Oh, therefore, let vsus not deferre our time, but learne of our Sauiour fActs 5. 31. Mat. 1. 21. … Tim. 4. 10.to ſinne no gIoh. 5. 14. Wiſd. 2…. 1. Eze. 18. 21. Ie…e. 4. 1.more, leſt a worſe thing doe come vntounto vsus.
Laſtly, it was the continuing in ſin, that cauſed the reiection of CameaGen. 40. 11, the drowning of the whole WorldbGen. 7. 10., the burning of SodomecGen. 19. 14, the conſuinption of HeroddActs 22. 23., the fall of Ananias,eActs 5 5. and the damnation of the rich gluttonfLuke 16. 25. Eſay 30. 33. Iohn 5. 14., with many thouſands more which now lye damned in hell: and can none of all theſe fore-warnings ſerue vsus to ſinne no more, that this worſe thing doe not come vntounto vsus?
If they cannot, yet at the laſt, either let the miraculous deliuerance of Ionah from gIonah 2. 16.drowning, Ichoſaphat from theh2 Ch…o. 20. 24. Amorites, Ioſeph iniGen. 41. 14. priſon, Daniel in the Lyons denkDan. 6. 22., Sufanna from her wrongfull iudgementl… Sam. 6. 2., Peter from ſinking in the ſeamMat. 14. 31, the thrée Iſraelites from the fiery fornacenDan. 3. 26., or the moſt bitter death which our Sauiour Ieſus Chriſt ſuffered on the croſſe for our ſinneso… Cor. 5. 15., be a motiue to cauſe vsus to ſinne no more, which in ſo doing, hée hath both couenanted and grantedpIer. 31. 33. Heb. 8. 10. Mal. 3. 7., that this worſe thing ſhall neuer come vntounto vsus.
If you would flye the effect, ſhun the cauſe: If you would auoid the puniſhment, then abandon your ſin; and learne of our Sauiour to ſinne no more, leſt that a worſe thing do come vntounto you. And as you were cloathed before (like the criple) with the garment of qEccl. 5. 1. Ezec. 7. 19.Vanity: you muſt now put on the Robes of Chriſts rRouel. 19. 8.humility; & waſh not your ſelues in Sylo, nor in Iordan; but in the ſMa. 23. 12. Iames 4. 10.poole Betheſda, of ſpirituall Syon; Leſt a worſe thing come vntounto you.
To conclude, ſéeing God, is the infinite good aPſa. 1. 18. 29 Ier. 33. 11.that is offended: Sinne the infinite euill that is committedbW…ſd. 14. … Prou. 15. 9. Eſay 1. 18., & this worſe thing that ſhould come vntounto vsus, the infinite puniſhment of hell prepared for all thoſe that continue in their ſinnes without c repentance: Let vsus therefore learne our Sauiours Caueat, to forſake our dIo. 15. 14. Pſal. 41. 4.ſins, that this worſe thing may not come, for our ſins are in the falling; but the grace of God is in the riſing: Sin, the curſed worke of the Deuill: but mercy, pardon, and forgiueneſſe, the bleſſed worke of e1 Pet. v. 3. Iude 2 …. Iere. 9. 24.God. And as much as God is mightier than the Deuill, ſo much is his mercies toward repentant ſinners greater than his fRom. 5. 19. 20. Pſa. 103. 24.malice; our diſeaſe is great, but the power of the Phyſician is farre greater; yea before they call I will anſwer, (ſaith the Lord) and while they ſpeake, I gEſ. 65. 24.will heare.
Wherefore, let vsus not plead vntounto God, Non eſt factum, in denying our ſinnes, which he warneth vsus to Sinne no more; but let vsus like good Souldiers, put on the whole Armour hEph. 6. 11.of God, and violently reſiſt the Deuill, in the power of Ieſus Chriſt, and he will flye from iIam. 4. 9.vsus: So often as we reſiſt him, ſo often wée ouer-come, we make the AngleskLuk. 15. 7. glad; and glorifie God which exhorts vsus to fight, And helps vsus in the time of lHeb. 14. 16.need: He beholds our ſtriuing, he helps vsus vp, when we faint, and crownes vsus with glory and honour, when we m1 Tim. 6. 17.ouercome.
The greater our temptations are, the more noble muſt bee our nIames 4. 9reſiſtance; and the more godly our life and conuerſations are, the greater ſhall be our crowne and o2 Tim. 4. 8 Eſay 4…. 3.glory.
We muſt alſo moſt entirely deſire Almighty God, who is the Author of pIer. 31. 18. Leuit. 5. 21.repentance, to giuegive vsus his grace to qEcc. 21. 1. Pſal. 41. 4.repēt, that we may record a decrée in our hearts, to kéepe all our ſinnes with euerlaſting exile of Baniſhment r1 Pe. 5. 18., and neuer admit any of them againe in our Coaſts. And let our hearts be pricked on with the féeling of Gods ſPſal. 1. 2.mercies, encouraged by his gracious promiſes of accepting our poore endeuours to doe him t1 Cor. 15. 58.ſeruice; yea rauiſhed with the expectation of ſuch a uCol. 2. 13. Eſay. 53. 5.reward, as is aſſured vntounto all thoſe which learne this leſſon of our Sauiour, To ſinne no wIohn 5 14.more.
And withall, let vsus bee aſhamed xRom. 6. 21.of our long continuing in ſinne, that wee could repent no ſooner, and condemne the careleſſenes of our hearts, for doing our beſt workes ſo imperfect.
And moſt entirely craue pardon, grace, and mercy, from the Father of mercies; and carefully ſearth our hearts, y1 Gor. 12. 28.find out our ſinnes, that wée may learne here of our Sauiour, To ſinne no zIohn 5. 14.more; but each day renew our repentance.
And then we ſhall be aſſured, that tha outward offering of grace, will bee euer accompanied with the inward working of the Spirit. And Gods holy Spirit will be our conductor, his Word our director, while our faith aEph. 6. 16.holds the anchor; And grace ſtéere bEph. 1. 7. Titus 3. 7.the helme: Oh let our teares cKings▪ 20. 1, 2, 3.bee theſeas, our ſighes d2 Cor. 5. 2, 3.the gales of wind, to arriue at Gods heauenly Kingdome, which God hath prepared for eGeneſ, 1. 1.vsus, Chriſt hath merited for fIohn 3. 16.vsus, the holy Spirit doth aſſure vsus, g1 Iohn 5. 1, 6, 8, 13. 1 Cor. 2. 12.and our owne godly liues and conuerſations in learning here of our Sauiour to ſinne no more, will witneſſe the ſame vntounto vsus, which the Father of mercies, euen for his Son Ieſus Chriſt his ſake, for euer grant vsus. And as wee hauehave begun to liue here in thy feare, procéed and continued in thy fauour, grow daily in thy grace: euen ſo we beſéech thee Oh Lord, to let vsus liue within thée thy Glory. Amen.
Euen ſo ſweet Ieſus ſay AMEN.
Sinne no more.
CHriſts mercy is to ſuch as doe repent,
But not to ſinners that remaine in ſinne;
Who were a ſinner, if he hauehave intent,
To change his life, he may his mercies win;
For in this world he hath his mercy plaſt,
Whilſt it endures, ſo will it euer laſt.
If ſinners conſcience tremble for to thinke,
Of their accompts vponupon their dreadfull day;
If that their terrors make their harts to ſhrinke,
Then let their mind driue ſinfull thought away.
And dare not doe their wicked actions here,
In which they durſt not, at that day appeare.
Gods juſtice doth, as euer heretofore,
Call on that ſinners may receiue their due;
But Chriſts endeuour, now as euermore,
For mans repentance, and ſaluation ſue.
At Ieſus ſute, God euer granteth grace,
And for repentance giueth ſinners ſpace.
FINIS.
End of the text · John Andrewes, A True and Perfect Way to Win Careless Sinners (1631)