The Dead Saint Speaking to Saints and Sinners Living, Treatise 1 – Title page 1

The Dead Saint Speaking to Saints and Sinners Living · Treatise 1 – Title page 1

p. 1SINNE THE GREATEST EVIL▪

2 SAM. 24.10.

And now, I beſeech thee, Take away the iniquity of thy ſervant: for I have done very fooliſhly.

THE occaſion of theſe words, was the hand of God upon the Children of Iſrael, for Davids Sin of Numbring the people.

You read in Verſe 2. That David commanded Joab to go and number the people; and, at the firſt, Joab he diſſwaded him.

But you will ſay, Was it not lawful to number the people? Did not Moſes the ſame in the Wilderneſs, and Joſhua, and Nehemiah?

Yea; But Joab ſaw the pride of Davids heart in it; as appears by his anſwer in Verſe 3.—And Joab ſaid unto the King, Now the Lord thy God adde unto the people, how many ſoever they be, an hundred fold. But why doth my Lord the King delight in this thing? notwithſtanding the Kings word prevailed againſt Joab; though indeed to his trouble, and Iſraels coſt.

Happy had it been for David, and Iſrael too, if the work had not been done. But Joab goes, and the number is brought in; There were Eight hundred thouſand valiant men that drew ſword, and the men of Judah were Five hundred thouſand.

p. 2Well, But what was the Fruit? what was the Effect of this?

1. You read,—Davids heart ſmote him, Verſe 10. that is, His Conſcience accuſed him. If Conſcience be not a Bridle, it will be a Whip; if it be not a Curb, it will be a Scourge; if you will not hear the Warnings, you ſhall feel the Laſhings of Conſcience; if it do not reſtrain from ſin, Monendo, by Admonition, it will put us to Pain in ſin, Mordendo, by Contrition.

2. But there was not all, God would puniſh him for the ſin; And you may read the Sin in the Puniſhment: He had Gloried in the Number, and therefore God would Leſſen the Number.

Yet he puts it to his choice, which of the Three judgements he propounds (whether Seven years Famine, or Three moneths flight before his Enemies, or Three days Peſtilence) he would take.

Every one was Flagellum Mundans, A ſweeping Scourge.

But mark Davids behaviour, God threatens judg…ment, and David goes and Mourns for ſin: For Davids heart ſmiting, and his Prayer, though ſet before, yet ſeem to be afterward, and an effect of the Prophets diſcovery of ſin; as appears by the Verſe following the Text; For— When David was up in the morning, the word of the Lord came unto Gad Davids Seer— where you ſee it is rendred as a reaſon, why his heart ſmote him, and why he prayed thus—becauſe the Prophet had been with him, and had convinced him of his ſin, and denounced Gods judgements againſt him; whereupon Davids heart ſmote him, and he prays—Take away the iniquity of thy ſervant; for I have done very fooliſhly.

But here it may be demanded. Why, when God threatned judgement, David ſhould go and pray for pardon of ſin? why did he not deſire GOD rather To forbear his ſtrokes? To avert and turn away his wrath? Than meerly To Beg pardon of ſin? or, if he had deſired this, yet why did he not Beg the other, as well as that, and joyn them together in the ſame Petition?

Anſw. 1. To teach us in all the preſſures and evils upon our Outward man, to turn our thoughts Inward, and lament ſin.

2. Becauſe he ſaw ſin the Cauſe of judgement; and therefore deſires the removing of this, that ſo the other might be withdrawn alſo.

3. Becauſe he knew the judgement could never be removed in Mercy, unleſs the ſin were taken away. Every Preſervation is but a Reſervation; every Deliverance is in juſtice, not in mercy, if ſin be not taken away.

4. He was more apprehenſive of the Diſhonor of GOD, by his ſin, than of any judgement that his ſin had brought upon him. Or,

5. He ſees ſin The Greateſt Evil, and therefore ſeeks the redreſs of that, rather than of any other Evil—Take away the iniquity of thy ſervant.

p. 3In the Text you may obſerve Two Parts of Prayer:

I. Confeſsion.

II. Petition.

1. Confeſsion, with ſelf-judging—For I have done very fooliſhly.

2. Petition—Take away the iniquity of thy ſervant, joyned with faith. Or here you have,

1. The Petitioner, David, ſet forth from his Relation—Thy Servant.

2. The Petitioned: GOD.

3. The Petition it ſelf—Take away, or Pardon the iniquity of thy ſervant; for the phraſe ſeems to have reſpect to the Scape-Goat, a Type of Chriſt, which was to Carry away the ſins of the People into the wilderneſs, Levit. 16.22. thereby ſignifying Chriſts taking away ſin.

There is little difficulty in the words, but what we may make a difficulty.

As indeed it would be a making of difficulties, to go about to expound that which is ſo plain, rather than an unſolding of them, if I ſhould tell you of the ſeveral diſtinctions men make of ſin, Three words in the Hebrew, Exod. 34.7.Exod 34:7foreign By one they will have to be meant Original Sin; by another, Infirmities; by the other your Groſſer Sins. But upon examination, I finde them uſed promiſcuouſly; and therefore ſuch diſtinctions of them hath no bottom.

The letter of the words, and outward face of the Text, ſpeaks Three Doctrines.

1. That GODS ſervants may commit ſin, commit iniquity—The iniquity of thy ſervant.

2. Freſh ſinnings muſt have Freſh repentings; If you Renew your ſins, you muſt Renew your Sorrows.

3. There needs freſh pardon, for freſh revoltings: Take away. He doth not ſay, Aſſure me it is taken away; but—Take away. But this will not be the ſubject of my diſcourſe now.

That which I intend to ſpeak to, ſhall be,

The Time and Occaſion of theſe words, which was, when GODS judgements were threatned againſt him.

1. Sin truly is, and GODS peöple do apprehend it to be, Doct. 1 The Greateſt evil in the world.

He doth not ſay, Take away the Plague, take away the Judgement threatned; but, Take away this Sin. He lookt upon ſin as the Greateſt Evil.

2. When GOD threatens to puniſh ſin, Doct. 2 it is the beſt way to run unto GOD to Take away ſin. Or, When GODS hand is either Felt or Feared, it ſhould be a Chriſtians wiſdom To Repent of ſin, To Deſire ſin removed.

p. 4We begin with the firſt,

Doctr. That ſin truly is, and GODS people do apprehend it to be, The Greateſt Evil in the world.

We will take it, 1. In its Pieces. 2. We will cloſe them.

1. The Doctrine doth part it ſelf into Two parts:

1. That ſin is the Greateſt Evil in the world.

2. That GODS people apprehend it to be the Greateſt evill in the world.

1. Sin the greateſt evil in the world.1. For the firſt, That ſin is the greateſt Evil in the world: I may ſhew this,

1. By Collation and Compariſon of this with other evils.

2. By Demonſtration and Proof of it to you.

1. If you Compare the Evil of ſin, with other evils, you ſhall ſee how ſhort All other kinde of Evils are to this Evil of Sin.

11. Moſt of all, other evils are but outward: They are but ſuch as are on the Body, the Eſtate, the Name; but this is An Inward Evil. An evil upon the Soul, which is the Greateſt of Evils.

22. All other evils are but of a temporal nature: They have An End, Poverty, Sickneſs, Diſgrace, all theſe are great evils; but theſe, and all other, they have An End: Death puts the concluſion to them all. But This Evil of ſin is of an Eternal nature, that ſhall never have end. Eternity it ſelf ſhall put no period to this.

33. All other evils do not make a man the ſubject of GODS wrath and hatred. A man may have all other evils, and yet be in the Love of GOD. Thou maiſt be Poor, and yet Precious in GODS eſteem; thou maiſt be under all Kinde of miſeries, and yet Dear in GODS thoughts to thee.

But now this is an evil, that makes the ſoul the ſubject of GODS wrath and hatred.

As the Abſence of all other goods, the Preſence of all created evils, will not make thee Hateful to GOD, if Sin be not there: So the Preſence of all other goods, and Abſence of all other evils, will not render thee Lovely, if ſin be there.

44. All other Evils do but oppoſe your well-being, nay, and your well-being for preſent (for they cannot rob you of future happineſs) But this oppoſeth your well-being for ever: For you cannot be Happy, if you be not Holy; Nay, this oppoſeth your Being. It brought Death; you would ſin your ſelves into Nothing again, if GOD did not hold you up To be, that you might Be miſerable for ſin.

55. All other evils are but Deſtructive to a mans ſelf: fight but againſt Particulars: But this is contrary to the Univerſal Good, contrary to GOD; and (as far as it may) Deſtructive to the very Being of God: As I ſhall ſhew hereafter.

66. All other evils are GODS creatures, and ſo far good. He p. 5owns all the reſt, he is the Author of all the reſt—Is there any evil in the City that I have not done? Amos 3.6. meaning, All the Evil of Puniſhment Penal, not Sinful Evil: But this is the Devils Creature, yea, and worſe than he, being All ſin.

7. All other Evils are Gods Phyſick, and uſed as Medicines, 7either,

1. For prevention of this. Or,

2. For the cure of this.

1. For prevention of this—That you might not be condemned with the world, he lays afflictions and evils upon you, 1 Cor. 11.32.

He ſuffered Satan to tempt Paul, and gave him up to his buffetings, which yet is the Greateſt Evil in the world next to ſin, the Greateſt penal Evil in the world: And all to prevent ſin; as the Apoſtle himſelf ſaith, 2 Cor. 12.7.—God ſent a Meſſenger of Satan to buffet him—And what was the reaſon? why it was to prevent ſin—Leſt he ſhould be exalted above meaſure: that is, left he ſhould be proud. And as he uſeth all other Evils for Prevention. So,

2. For the cure of ſin. And you know, no Medicine can be ſo bad, as is this Diſeaſe. Now all other Evils God hath laid upon his people for the cure of ſin, or for the recovery of them out of the ſtate of ſin.

And to ſpeak as much as I can at once, There is not ſo much evil in the Damnation of a Thouſand worlds of men for ſin; As there is evil in the Leaſt ſin; the leaſt ſinful thought that riſeth upon your ſpirits; inaſmuch as the good of theſe, falls ſhort of the good and glory of God.

Thus you ſee, by Collation and Compariſon of this Evil with others (in which I might much more inlarge my ſelf) that, Of all Evils, Sin is the greateſt Evil, We will now come to

2. The Demonſtration of the Point.2. Demonſtrations.

1. Demonſtration.

1. That which fighteth againſt, and oppoſeth the greateſt Good, 1. Demonſtration or Reaſon Sin oppoſeth the greateſt good: 1. God.muſt needs be the greateſt Evil▪ But now Sin oppoſeth and fighteth againſt the greateſt Good. Hence a Father calls ſin, Dei-cidium, God-ſlaughter, that which ſtrikes againſt the Being and Eſſence of God, that which (were it ſtrong enough) were it Infinitely evil, as God is Infinitely good, would labor to Un-Be God. God is Summum Bonum; and indeed, Non datur Summum Malum, ſin cannot be infinite.

If Sin were as evil, as God is good; that is, Adequately, and Proportionably; if Infinitely evil, as God is good, ſin would be Too hard for God to pardon, it would be Too hard for God to ſubdue, Too hard for God to Conquer; Sin would endeavor to conquer God.

p. 6Indeed, there is more evil in the leaſt ſin, than there is good in any, nay all the Angels of Heaven; and therefore you ſee it conquered them, ſpoiled all their goodneſs, made them Devils; which it could not have done, if the good in them had been greater than the Evil in ſin.

And, though it be not able to conquer God, to overcome him (there is more goodneſs in God, than Evil in Ten Thouſand Hells of ſin; and ſo it cannot overcome the power of God, the mercy of God, the holineſs of God) yet it fights againſt God, and makes party againſt him every day. It muſters up all its ſtrength againſt God, and comes into open field to Bid Defiance againſt him every day.

Nay, when it is beaten out of the open field, by the power of God, and his Ordinances, then it hath ſtrong Holds, as the Apoſtle tells us, 2 Cor. 10.4. and from thence fights againſt him, and oppoſeth him; there it luſts againſt him, it wills againſt him, the heart riſeth againſt him.

When ſin is beaten out of the field, yet a long time it will be, before it be beaten out of ſtrong Holds.

When ſin in Practiſe is overcome and conquered, yet ſin in Affection is hard to be overcome: That Contrariety that is between God and your Heart is hard to be conquered.

It will coſt you many a battel, many an aſſault, before you can conquer ſin in its ſtrong Holds, overcome ſin in the Heart.

Though ſometimes it may ſeem to be overcome, and to render up all: yet afterwards it gathers together again, and will make new and freſh aſſaults upon you, to weaken and to wound you.

Nay, and herein lies the Malignity, the poyſonous and venemous nature of ſin, that, though God hath conquered it, though it be never ſo weakned, yet will it act againſt God, ſpit its venome ſtill.

An Emblem of it you have in the Thief upon the Croſs; that when he was nailed upon the Croſs, his hands and feet made faſt, and had but one member looſe; yet that one member could ſpit its venome at Chriſt, revile Chriſt; ſo, though God hath crucified ſin, yet ſo long as there is any life in it, it will act it ſelf, and ſpit venome againſt God, which ſhews that Great Contrariety betwixt God and ſin.

And this Contrariety and Oppoſition of the Chiefeſt Good, muſt needs ſhew ſin to be the Greateſt Evil.

2. Demonſtration.

…. Demonſt. ſin univerſally evil, All evil.2. That which is Univerſally Evil; all Evil, and no good, muſt needs be the Greateſt Evil in the world: But ſin is All evil.

p. 7As we ſay of God, There is no Evil in him, He is All Good, Quodcun que in Deo Deus eſt: So I may ſay of Sin; There is no Good in it, It is All Evil, Quodcun que in Peccato Peccatum eſt.

There is ſome good in the worſt things in the world; and ſome thing in the worſt things, to make them capable of our choice of them, in ſome caſes; ſome good in ſickneſs, ſome good in Death: But now there is no good in ſin, nor can any conſiderations in the world make ſin the Object of our Choice. Though you might avoid Death by ſin; yet, becauſe ſin is Univerſally Evil, and No good in it, you may not make uſe of ſin to avoid Death.

And therefore you ſhall read, That, when the Apoſtle would ſpeak the worſt of ſin, he could finde no Name worſe than its Own to ſet it out by, Rom. 7.13. ad finem— foreign— Sinful-ſin. He calls it Sinful-ſin, Nothing but Sin.

3. Demonſtration.

3. That, which is the ſole Object of Gods hatred, 3. Demonſtr. Sin the ſole object of Gods hatred.muſt needs be the Greateſt evil: But ſin is the ſole Object. Not onelyonly the Object, but the ſole Object of Gods hatred: He hates nothing but Sin.

His love runs in divers ſtreams towards all things he hath made; But his hatred runs in One Chanel alone, and that is, Towards Sin.

If Man were made the Center of all other Evils in the world, God could Love him under All, if ſin were not there. And, if there be a Confluence of all other Goods, Health, Beauty, Riches, Learning, &c. God hates you, if Sin alone be there, Gods love cannot be there, but his wrath abideth there.

4. Demonſtration.

4. That which ſeparates the ſoul from the chief good; that, which divides between the ſoul, and God the chiefeſt good, 4. Demonſtr. Sin Separates the ſoul from the chief Good (i.) God.muſt needs be the Greateſt Evil: But ſin divides betwixt God and the ſoul, Iſa. 59.2. —Your iniquities have Separated betwixt you and your God: Betwixt your ſouls, and my Grace; your ſouls, and my Comforts; your ſouls, and my Bleſſings.

It was ſaid of Naaman, That he was a Great man, an Honorable man, a mighty man of War: But he was a Leper, 2 Kings 5.1. So, whatever Ornaments a man hath, whatever Gifts, Parts, Riches, Beauty, &c. yet, if he be a Leper: though a Learned man, a Rich man, But a Wicked man, that ſpoils all the reſt.

p. 85. Demonſtration.

5. Demonſtr. Sin is the root of all other evils.5. That, which is the ground and cauſe of all other Evils, muſt needs be the Greateſt Evil: But ſin is the cauſe of all other Evils.

Is the Old world drowned with water? it is for ſin. Is Sodome deſtroyed with fire, and turned into an Aſphaltite-lake to this day? it is for ſin. Is Jeruſalem laid on heaps? Sin hath done it. Should I enter on this, I ſhould finde no end.

1. Of National evils.1. Sin is the cauſe of All National Evils: We will name ſome, and but name them.

1. Wars.1. Wars. Judg. 5.8.—They choſe new Gods: Then was War in the Gates. James 4.1. From whence come wars and fightings among you? is it not from your luſts?

2. Famine.2. Famine. Pſal. 107.34.—He turneth a fruitful land into a Deſert, for the wickedneſs of them that dwell therein. Amos 4.6.— Therefore (ſc. for their ſins) have I given you cleanneſs of teeth in all your Cities, and ſcarceneſs of bread in all your places, &c.

3. Peſtilence.3. Peſtilence; as Davids ſin here of Numbring the people. Read Deut. 28.21.—The Lord ſhall make the peſtilence to cleave to thee, till he hath conſumed thee from off the land, whither thou goeſt to poſſeſs it.

And as ſin is the cauſe of National, ſo alſo,

2. Of Perſonal evils.2. Of perſonal Evils; and thoſe are,

1. Temporal.

2. Spiritual.

3. Eternal.

Sin is the Cauſe, the Meriting, the Procuring Cauſe of all. All Evils are but the Births of ſin; ſin is a Big-bellied Evil, and all other Evils are but the births of ſin.

1. On Body.Thoſe upon your Bodies; Sickneſs, Aches, Pains, Weakneſſes.

2. On Soul.Thoſe upon your ſouls; Fears, Heart-breakings, Terrors, Horrors. If you could rip up ſin, you would finde all theſe to lie in the bowels of the leaſt ſin.

Shall I tell you? Sin was the firſt Founder of Hell; that which laid the Corner-ſtone of that Dark Vault: for, before Sin, there was no Hell.

Nay, and it is Sin that Built up Hell, and hath fitted Hell with thoſe Treaſures and Riches of Wrath, Fire and Brimſtone.

Nay, and that which ſtill Addes to it, and increaſeth the, Fewel, Rom. 2.5.—It treaſures up wrath againſt the day of wrath.

And therefore being an Univerſal Evil, a Catholick Evil, the Womb of Evils, and Cauſe of all, it muſt needs be The Greatest Evil.

p. 96. Demonſtration.

6. That which is worſe than the Utmoſt Evil, 6. Demonſtr. Sin worſe that the utmoſt Evil.muſt needs be the Greateſt Evil: But ſin is worſe than the Utmoſt Evil. That, which is Greater than the Greateſt Evil, muſt needs be Exceeding Great. Hell is the Utmoſt Evil; but Sin is worſe than Hell it ſelf. Hell ſeparate from ſin is but miſerable, not ſinful: A Penal Evil, not A Sinful Evil.

I ſay, ſeparate Hell from ſin (though we cannot really ſeparate Hell from ſin, yet an Intellectual Separation we may make: we may in our Underſtandings abſtract Hell from ſin) And then, I ſay, ſin is worſe than Hell; becauſe Hell is but A Penal Evil, ſin is A Sinful Evil; And there is no Penal Evil ſo bad as A Sinful Evil. There is good in the Puniſhment, the good of Juſtice: But no good in ſin: And therefore ſin in it ſelf is the Greatest Evil.

Now we come to the Second, which is the Main. As ſin is in it ſelf, ſo

2. In the Apprehenſions of Gods people, ſin is the Greateſt Evil.

1. Their ſighs for ſin.

2. Their ſufferings to avoid ſin do ſhew, they apprehend ſin the Greatest Evil.

1. Their ſighs for ſin,—you may look into Davids Penitential Pſalms, and ſee what ſighs and groans for ſin. Look into Pſalm 51. Why, what was the reaſon of them? All the Sufferings, all the Evils in the world, would not ſo much have affected him, as his ſin. Paul, Rom. 7.24—Oh wretched man that I am! who ſhall deliver me from this body of death! The Death of his body was nothing to him, in compariſon of This Body of Death.

Paul went through many tribulations, endured a great deal of ſufferings (as you may read 2 Cor. 11, 23, 24, 25. at large) yet all theſe Scourges, theſe Priſons and Perſecutions, did not go ſo much to his heart, as ſin, even the preſence, though not the power of ſin. Though he ſuffered much, yet we do not read, that ever he cryed, OH! for all; And yet he doth for Sin, OH! miſerable man that I am! who ſhall deliver me from this body of ſin!—So Peter, Manaſſeh, &c.

2. Their ſufferings to avoid ſin. Daniel was content to be thrown into the Den of Lyons, the three Children into the Fire, Paul and Silas into the Stocks; and many of Gods people have choſen to embrace Priſons, Stakes, Fire, and the hotteſt Perſecutions, rather than ſin.

Which doth plainly evidence to us, They eſteemed Sin the Greateſt Evil.

1. Greater than Poverty; which yet is a great evil. Melius eſt p. 10Panem mendicare, quam Fidem perdere. Better to Beg, ſaith one, than to ſin,—Heb. 11.24. to the 28.—Moſes choſe rather to ſuffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the Pleaſures of ſin for a ſeaſon. The like of that Chriſtian-Moſes Galcacius Caracciolus, who was a Noble Prince and Marqueſs, who yet, that he might not ſin, left and forſook all he had, and betook himſelf to live meanly with the people of God, meerly to enjoy the Ordinances. And Muſculus, a man of excellent Learning, and a famous Divine, who rather than ſin, would cloſe with any condition.

The Story tells us, That being driven out of all he had, he was content, rather than ſin, to betake himſelf to a Poor Trade, to be a Weaver, to get bread to maintain his wife and children. Afterwards, being caſt out of that way, the world looking upon it as too good for him, he betook himſelf to work with a Spade in the Common Ditch of the Town, to get his living. He could down with any condition, rather than ſin.

Nay, they have not onelyonly apprehended ſin a Greater Evil than Poverty: But,

2. Greater than Priſons, greater than Death it ſelf. It was the ſpeech of Ambroſe,—Vultis in vincula rapere? Vultis in Mortem? Voluptas eſt mihi:—Will you caſt me into Priſon? will you take away my life? All this is deſireable to me, rather than to ſin.

When Eudoxia the Empreſs threatned Chryſoſtome, whom ſhe afterward baniſhed. He ſends to her, Go tell her, ſaith he—Nil, niſi Peccatum, timeo—I fear nothing in the world but ſin.

3. Nay, they have apprehended ſin a Greater evil than Death—Baſil ſpeaks of a Rich Virgin, who being condemned to the fire, and ſentenced to loſe her eſtate, becauſe ſhe would not Worſhip Idols; yet afterward was promiſed life and reſtitution of eſtate, if ſhe would; She replyed,—Valeat vita, Pereat Pecunia—Farewel life, let money periſh. Look through the Ten Bloody Perſecutions, and our Late Marian-days, and you ſhall finde many inſtances to this purpoſe.

4. Nay, yet further, They have not onelyonly apprehended ſin a Greater Evil than Death, but yet more, A Greater Evil than Hell it ſelf.

It was the ſpeech of Chryſoſtome—Ego ſic cenſeo, ſic aſsiduè praedicabo, &c.—I thus think, and thus will I ever preach, that It is more bitter to ſin againſt Christ, than to Suffer the Torments of Hell.

Anſelm ſaith,—That if on the one ſide were preſented unto him the Evil of ſin, and on the other ſide the Torments of Hell; he would rather chooſe to fall into Hell, than to fall into ſin—At ſuch a diſtance were their hearts ſet againſt ſin: And nothing more ordinary than ſuch expreſſions as theſe from the Saints, in temptations, in troubles of ſpirit, or in clearing their own hearts—Rather p. 11ſlay me,—Rather Damn me,—Rather caſt me into Hell, than let me ſin againſt thee &c.

But this ſhall be ſufficient to clear the Doctrinal part. We come to the Application.

1. Conſectary.

1. If ſin be the Greateſt Evil in the world;1. Conſectary. Then let us fall down and admire the Wiſdom of God; and adore the Goodneſs of God, who, out of the Greateſt Evil, could bring the Greateſt Good: who makes the Greateſt Evil, an Occaſion of the Greateſt Good that ever was wrought.

Bernard was ſo taken up with the thoughts of it, that he ſaith,— Foelix Culpa, quae talem meruit Redemptorem!—Happy fault, which occaſioned ſuch a Redeemer!

We ſhould be humbled for the fault, & bleſs God for the Remedy; and withal, admire that wiſdom and that goodneſs, which hath taken occaſion by mans wickedneſs, to declare his own goodneſs; by mans ſin, to make known and expreſs the infiniteneſs of his wiſdom, power, mercy, juſtice, &c. That this ſhould be an occaſion to draw out all his Glorious Attributes: That he ſhould bring Good out of Evil, Life out of Death, Heaven out of Hell, Good out of ſin, Cordials out of Poyſon.

Let us never doubt, never ſuſpect, but God can bring good out of any thing; turn the Greateſt Evils to the advancement of his Glory, and the good of his people; who can, out of ſin and Hell, bring good. What is it to turn Afflictions, Perſecutions, the Plots and Malice of men? What is it to turn Troubles, Wars, &c. to his own Glory, and Advancement of his own cauſe? who was able to turn Sin to all this?

He, that can turn the Evil of ſin, which is Pure Evil, and the Greateſt Evil; can much more turn the Evil of Trouble, to the good of his people.

This made the Apoſtle ſay, that—All things ſhould work together for good to them that love God, &c. He, that hath experience of this, needs not to doubt of any thing elſe. That God, that can turn Sin, can turn Afflictions, Croſſes, Perſecutions, &c. to the good of his Church and people.

2. Conſectary.

2. Hence conclude then, That it is the Saddeſt puniſhment, 2. Conſectary.the Fearfulleſt judgement in the world, To be given up to ſin. This is the utmoſt puniſhment that God inſticteth upon men; and therefore the Greateſt of all Puniſhments.

God doth uſually proceed by Degrees, in the ways of his judgements: firſt, he begins with leſſer; if leſſer will not do, then he proceeds to greater, he will puniſh yet Seven times more; and ſtill the further he goes, the greater are his ſtrokes.

p. 12Now this is the finiſhing, the concluding ſtroke; this is the last puniſhment, and the Greateſt of all other, To give a man up to the ſtate of ſin; To ſay to a man, Thou that art filthy, be filthy ſtill, and thou that art unclean, be unclean ſtill. This he tells them in Ezek. 24.13—Becauſe I would have waſhed thee, purged thee, and thou wouldſt not be purged; therefore thou ſhalt not be purged. And ſo he tells the Iſraelites—Becauſe you would have altars to ſin; therefore altars ſhall be to you to ſin, Hoſ. 8.11.

Oh! There is no ſadder judgement in the world, than for a man To be given up to his own hearts luſt. This ſets an Eternal night of Darkneſs.

A Meipſo me libera, Domine, ſaith Auguſtine, Good Lord deliver me from my ſelf. You had better be given up to the luſts of men, to the malice and cruelties of blood-thirſty men; better to be given up to the utmoſt rage and malice of our bloody Cavaliers and Iriſh Rebels, than to be delivered up to Your ſelves, to the luſts of your own hearts. Nay, you had better to be Given up to Satan, than to be Given up to your ſelves, your ſins.

The Inceſtuous perſon was Delivered up to Satan, as you read, 1 Cor. 5.5. And was reſtored again, and the better for it. But we never read of any, who were Delivered up to themſelves, who ever returned: never any, who were Given up to the luſts of their own heart, that ever recovered. Better then To be delivered up to Satan than to ſin; inaſmuch, as All Penal Evils fall ſhort of Sinful Evils.

It is Judicial, in reſpect of God, who may puniſh one ſin with another, and curſe ſin with hardneſs of heart. But this is a ſinful evil in reſpect of us; we bring the writing and the wax, and God puts to the ſeal, and then we are ſhut up for ever.

And you are in the High-way to this, who Go on in ſin, and will not be reformed; when God hath laboured by Sickneſs, Afflictions, to recover you, you are in the way to this Final Doom—You that are filthy, be filthy ſtill, &c.

3. Conſectary.

3. Conſectary.3. If ſin be the Greateſt Evil in the world, Then ſee what fools they are, who ſeek to rid themſelves of other Evils, by the Admiſſion of ſin. He who labors to prevent other evils, or remove other evils, by the admiſſion of ſin, runs into the greateſt evil of all. He kills himſelf, to ſave himſelf; he deſtroys himſelf, to preſerve himſelf—He that thus ſaves his life, doth loſe his life.

There were never any times ſo bad, but Gods people might have been ſafe in them, if they would have admitted of ſin. But they have ſeen their ſafety to lie in Suffering, when they could have no ſafety, but in the Admiſſion of ſin: You ſee it in the practice of the Three Children.

p. 13It was the ſpeech of the Primitive Chriſtians, when they were threatned with Priſons and Deaths, if they would not renounce Chriſt—Parce precor, Imperator, Tu Carcerem, Ille Gehennam—S are, good Emperor, thou threatneſt a Priſon, but Chriſt Hell.

When Cyprian was ſentenced to dye upon the ſame ground, the Governor perſwaded with him, that he ſhould pity himſelf; and rather Renounce his error, than loſe his life, and conſult a little on it—He anſwers him—Fac quod tibi praeceptum eſt: In re tàm juſtâ nulla eſt conſultatio: Sir, you are my Judge, you are none of my Counſellor: In ſo clear and juſt a cauſe there needs no Counſel. I will not diſhonor the justneſs of my cauſe, to enter into Parlee, and Conſultation, whether to ſuffer, or ſin. The like of that Virgin whereof Baſil ſpeaks; who bade adieu to eſtate and life, rather than abandon her Profeſſion.

Oh! it were a ſad thing to ſecure our ſelves by that, which is our ruine; to purchaſe our liberty by bondage; our ſafety by ſin. You ſee what it coſt F. Spira, and Cranmer in Queen Maries days, who knevv not hovv to be avenged on himſelf for his act, but by Burning that hand firſt, that had ſubſcribed to ſin.

It is better to be ſtill in Priſon, than for ſin to ſet open the Priſon door: Inaſmuch as its better to be Gods Priſoner, than the Devils Freeman. Better to loſe all, than to preſerve our eſtates by the admiſſion of ſin.

And therefore, whatever your troubles are, whatever your fears, whatever your dangers, bevvare of preſerving your ſelves, or purchaſing liberty, or life it ſelf, at ſo dear a rate, as by the admiſsion of ſin; by Diſhonoring God, and wounding your own conſcience. Beware of getting Man your Friend, by purchaſing God to be your Enemy.

We know not yet what our times may come unto; but it is out of the reach of the power or malice of men, To make you miſerable, if they do not firſt make you ſinful.

4 Conſectary.

4. If ſin ſeparately conſidered, be ſo great an Evil:4. Conſectary. What then is ſin circumſtantiated? ſin againſt knowledge, againſt means? If there be ſo much evil in ſin, in the leaſt ſin; what then in the greateſt? If Atomes be ſo great; How great then are Mountains? If impertinent thoughts be ſo ſinful, as having more ſin in them, than all the treaſures of heaven (beſides God and Chriſt) can expiate; what then are rebellious thoughts, contrived Murders, ſpeculative Adulteries, contemplative wickedneſs, covetous Aims and Ends, contempts of God, ſlightings, and undervaluing of his ways? If there be ſo much ſin and hell in a vain idle word; what a hell of ſin, what mountains of wrath in your Carrion-communications, your ſtinking-diſcourſes, your bloody and horrid oathes and blaſpemies?

p. 14Nay; if there be ſo much evil in one ſin, and one ſin ſimply conſidered: what ſhall we think of ſin compounded, ſin circumſtantiated, ſin made exceeding ſinful? ſins againſt knowledge, againſt means, againſt mercies? Oh! ſit down and conſider one ſin, and ſee much in it.

Such a ſin I committed againſt knowledge, ſuch a one againſt checks of conſcience, ſuch a one againſt the motions of the Spirit, &c. and tell me, if the leaſt ſin be not exceeding ſinful.

5. Conſectary.

5. Conſectary.If ſin be ſo great an evil, then ſee what fools they are, who make a mock at ſin. Prov. 14.9—Fools make a mock at ſin; they ſport at ſin. It is a ſport to ſwear, to be drunk, &c. they will ſin for ſport and recreation. It is their recreation to do evil, to drink, to ſwear, to lye, to profane Gods-day—Theſe are Fools. What, Natural Fools? No: he that goes about with a Whiſtle, and a Bable, and a Coat, is in far better caſe than he. He is a Spiritual Fool, the greateſt Fool.

Will you ſport with poyſon? will you ſport your ſelves with Hell? nay worſe, Will you recreate your ſelves, with deſtroying your ſelves? will you ſport your ſelves with that, which was ſo bitter to Chriſt? and will be ſo to thee, if ever thou be pardoned.

Who would ſport at that, which is the miſery of loſt men and Devils, both here, and in Hell to eternity?

One would think this poor ſport and recreation, to tear in pieces the fleſh, and wound, and ſhed the blood of A Stranger, of An Enemy; but how much more of Our Deareſt Friend?

Thou, who ſporteſt at ſin, doſt ſo with Chriſt, ſporteſt thy ſelf in killing Chriſt, crucifying Chriſt, tearing the fleſh of …hriſt again. Every oath is a dagger to his heart, as the ſpear to his ſide again.

It is the higheſt piece of a Deviliſh nature in the world, To ſport at ſin: None but Devils do it. It is the Burden of God, he complains of it; and he accounts it an eaſe, when he is rid of you—Ah! I will eaſe me of my adverſaries, Iſa. 1.24.

It is the Wounding of Chriſt, the Grief of the Spirit, the Trouble of Angels, the deſtruction of the Creatures. Will you ſport at that, which hath brought all evil on man, all on Chriſt? which hath made Hell, fuelled Hell, and the Torment of ſouls for ever?

Oh! make not that your joy, which was Chriſts ſorrow, and will be yours eternally, if now your joy in ſin, be not turned to ſorrow for ſin.

p. 156. Conſectary.

6. If ſin be the Greateſt evil,6. Conſectary. Then ſee the utter impoſsibility of any thing under heaven, to relieve and help us from under the guilt of ſin, ſave JESUS CHRIST onelyonly.

Haſt thou committed but one ſin? thou haſt done that which all the Treaſures of Righteouſneſs in Heaven and Earth are not able to relieve thee, or help thee in, ſave JESUS CHRIST.

There is as much required for the anſwering the guilt of one ſin, as the guilt of a thouſand.

Infinite Righteouſneſs is required for one, and no more is required for a thouſand: And that Righteouſneſs none but Chriſt alone hath.

Nothing can relieve us, but that which is Adequate in righteouſneſs to the Evil of ſin. Now there is no righteouſneſs in the world, that is proportionable to the Evil of ſin, but the Righteouſneſs of Chriſt.

1. Our own, you know is too ſhort; it is called A menſtruous rag. A rag, and therefore cannot cover us-Menſtruous, and therefore though it ſhould cover us, yet it would but cover filth with filth; as the Prophet ſpeaks, Iſa. 30.1.—They cover, but not with the covering of my Spirit, that they might adde ſin to ſin; that is, the ſin of their righteouſneſs, to the ſin of their unrighteouſneſs. They cover a blot, with a blot; adde ſin to ſin, dung to dung.

2. Nor will the righteouſneſs of the Law be large enough, if it were ſuppoſed that a man were able to fulfil all that righteouſneſs, and keep the whole Law—Preſent obedience, though ſuppoſed to be Adequate to the Righteouſneſs of the Law, will never anſwer for former offences and diſobediences.

The Law indeed is ſtrong enough to damn a thouſand, but cannot ſave one; it can pour Hell, and Wrath, and Condemnation upon a World of ſinners; but is not able to pour Grace, or to give Juſtification to one—The Apoſtle tells us, Rom. 8.3, 4. —What the Law could not do, in that it was weak through the fleſh: God (ſending his own ſon, in the likeneſs of ſinful fleſh, and for ſin) condemned ſin in the fleſh—The ſame Apoſtle alſo tells us, Gal. 3.21—If there had been a Law given, which could have given life, righteouſneſs ſhould have been by the Law. The Apoſtle tells us again, Gal. 3.17—The Law was given four hundred and thirty years after the promiſe, to ſhew we muſt not work, that we may be juſtified; but be juſtified, that we may be able to work. If God had intended The Law, the inſtrument of Juſtification, he would have given the Law Four hundred and thirty years before the Promiſe.

3. Nay yet further, It is not the righteouſneſs of Angels (which p. 16yet is a Greater Righteouſneſs than that of the Law; inaſmuch as the Angels were above Man in Innocency) becauſe this alſo is but a created Righteouſneſs, a finite Righteouſneſs, and no way proportionable to the evil of ſin. If it had, one ſin had not ſpoiled thoſe glorious Angels of their Goodneſs at once, and made them Devils: which that ſin doing ſhews, There was more evil in ſin, than Good or Righteouſneſs in them.

Well then, This ſhews the utter impoſsibility of any other under heaven, or in heaven, to Free us from the Evil of ſin, but JESUS CHRIST. Nothing but Infiniteneſs can deal with ſin. It muſt be Infinite wiſdom—To finde out a way. It muſt be Infinite mercy—To pardon. Infinite power—To ſubdue. Infinite merit—To purge and cleanſe. And Infinite Grace—To deſtroy ſin.

However you think of ſin, yet this hath been the Great Enemy which God and Grace have been contending withal, ever ſince the world began.

And it hath put All-God to it, even the Infiniteneſs of the infinite God to reſcue us, and to ſave us out of the Hands and Power of ſin.

His infinite Wiſdom, Power, Mercy, Truth, Holineſs, have been all imployed to conquer ſin; I ſay, ſo to conquer ſin, as to ſave you the ſinners.

The Great deſign of God in ſending Chriſt into the world; his Incarnation, Humiliation, Death, Paſſion, all were about this, The conquering and deſtroying of ſin.

How Great an Enemy was this, that God muſt ſend out his Son to conquer it? He can arm Flyes, Lice, Frogs, the meaneſt of Creatures, to overthrow the Greateſt Power and Puiſſance of the earth: but no leſs than his Son was strong enough to conquer ſin.

You may think of ſin as meanly as you will; ſwallow it without fear; live in it without ſenſe; commit it without remorſe; yet aſſure your ſelves, that this, you make ſo ſlight of, required No leſs than the infinite power of God, to conquer; the infinite mercy of God, to pardon; the infinite merit of Chriſt, to anſwer for it. It was that which fetcht the Deareſt Blood from the Heart of Chriſt, and will have Thine too, if thou getteſt not an intereſt in him,

7. Conſectary.

7. Conſectary.7. If ſin be the Greateſt Evil, Then ſee how much we are bound to CHRIST, who hath born your ſins, who hath born All this evil for you: you, who have an Intereſt in him.

Oh, the Love of CHRIST! that he ſhould bear ſin, which is more than all miſeries! a greater evill than Death, than Hell it ſelf is!

p. 17If there were one in the world, that were content to be Poor for you, to Bear Pains for you, to be Sick for you, to be Arreſted for you, to go to Priſon for you, to Dye for you; nay, to Bear the Wrath of God for you, nay, the pains of Hell for you: How would you think your ſelves bound to ſuch an one for doing it?

Why, This hath CHRIST done for you. He hath Born ſin, which is a Greater Evil than all theſe: An evil, that hath All theſe evils in the bowels of it. Such, as none but Chriſt was Able to Bear.

If God laid the leaſt ſin upon thee, pure ſin (which none but CHRIST did ever bear here in this world) it would cruſh thee to pieces with the weight of it, though all the Pillars of Heaven, all the Glorious Angels, ſhould contribute their ſtrength to thee, to help thee to bear thee up.

The leaſt ſin doth deſerve and draw down an infinite wrath, which nor thou, nor all the Angels in Heaven are able to ſtand under.

The Damned bear it in Hell. They bear it; and cannot bear it. They are ſlain with it, but cannot dye. Ever conſuming, never conſumed.

And therefore how much are you bound to CHR…ST! who hath Born ſin, a Greater evil than All other Evils; and with ſin, All the Torments, and Wrath, and Juſtice due to ſin.

All the world is not able to expreſs that Torment which Chriſt indured, when he did Bear ſin; when he did ſweat drops of blood, clods of blood; when he wreſtled with the juſtice,Grumos Sanguinis. did bear the wrath of God; when he cryed out,—My GOD! my GOD! Why haſt thou forſaken me!—A ſtrange ſpeech from him, who was the Son of God.

Which made the Fathers of the Greek Church ſay, foreign, &c. By vertue of thy unknown labors, and thoſe ſufferings not revealed to man, Have mercy on us.

It is no diſhonor to Chriſt, to ſay, That whatever the ſufferings of the Damned were In Pondere, Chriſt indured; though not In Specie, for the kinde.

And therefore let me ſay again, How much are you bound to Chriſt, who hath born your ſins for you! And the more bound, becauſe it was a Voluntary act of Chriſt: none could inforce or conſtrain him to it. Now the more willingly a Courteſie is done, the better it is. This doth inhance and heighten a courteſie, when it is done Willingly.

We uſe to ſay of ſuch good turns, which come willingly, that we do account them double courteſies. The will doth make all Great. As the more vvill there is in ſin, the Greater is the ſin: And this makes The Sin againſt the Holy Ghoſt. It is done—Deſtinatâ Malitiâ—with deviliſhneſs and deſperateneſs of will.

p. 18The more Will there is in Service, the more acceptable that Service is: Whatever you do for God, the more Will there is in it, the more God eſteems it; vvhere, on the contrary—Si quid boni Triſtè feceris, Fit de te magis, quam à quam à te. So here, The more Will there vvas in this Great act of Christ, the more are vve bound to Chriſt for it.

Now if you look upon it, from the Beginning to the End, you ſhall finde nothing but Meer Love, meer good-will in it.

His firſt undertaking of it was Voluntary. It was a Voluntary Agreement betwixt God and Chriſt: A willing Contract made in heaven with God, That he would undertake this great work.

And, he came into the world with as much Willingneſs, Heb. 10.5, 6, 7—Wherefore, when he comes into the world, he ſaith—Sacrifice and Offerings thou wouldſt not have. In burnt-offerings, and ſacrifices for ſin thou hast no pleaſure—Then ſaid I,—Lo, I come to do thy will, O God—Setting forth the Freeneſs and Willingneſs of Chriſt to undertake this work.

And hence the Angels ſung at his Incarnation—Good will to Men. It was nothing but meer Good will.

And, when he was in the world, he carryed on the work with as much Good will. He tells us—For this end was I born, and for this end came I …nto the world—Nay, and he ſaith—He was in pain till the hour came; viz. in pain of love, till the hour came,

And, when the hour came, though it was a Black and Diſmal-hour, called, The hour of Darkneſs; yet he would not deſert us, he would not leave us. If he had, He had left us in Hell, without all recovery. But he would go through with it, though it made him (ſo far as he was man) to ſtrange at the work of his own mercy. Nay, He would bear ſin, and bear wrath, and would lay down the utmoſt drop of blood in his body.

Oh! Oh! Think with your ſelves, you, that are The People of God, How much you are bound to Chriſt.

How may we ſay, with Bernard—Tu Vita mea: Ego mors tua. Tu Juſtitia mea: Ego Peccatum tuum. Tu coelum meum: Ego Gehenna tua. Tu Divitiae meae: Ego Paupertas tua—Thou art my Life, am thy Death. Thou my Righteouſneſs, I thy Sin. Thou my Heaven, I thy Hell. Thou my Riches, I thy Poverty. Oh! how are you bound to Chriſt, who hath born ſin!

2. But yet more, How are you bound to Chriſt, who hath So Born ſin, as we ſhall not bear it: So paid tht Debt, as we are diſcharged? Col 2.14.—Blotting out the Hand-writing of Ordinances, that was againſt us, and contrary to us, taking it away, and nailing it to his Croſs. As the Death of Chriſt was our payment, ſo the Reſurrection of Chriſt is our diſcharge, Rom. 4. ult. Who was delivered for our offences, and roſe again for our justification. Are we not Juſtified by his blood? Yea, we are; and therefore he did not riſe formally, to juſtifie us; but to declare, that we were juſtified, that we were acquitted, that our ſins were pardoned.

p. 19Had Chriſt been ſtill in Priſon, under the chains of death, we could not have had any Aſſurance that our debt had been diſcharged: As the Apoſtle ſaith elſewhere—If Chriſt be not riſen, we are yet in our ſins. But now Chriſt being Arreſted, caſt into Priſon, laid in the Grave, and having Broken the bands of Death, in which it was not poſsible for him to be held; Having Riſen again; By this is declared, That our ſins are diſcharged.

If indeed Chriſt had ſo born ſin, as that yet we ſhould bear it; What were we the better? But Chriſt having ſo born ſin, as that we ſhall not bear it, How infinitely are we bound to Christ for this!

Chriſt hath left nothing for us to do, but, To go receive what he hath Purchaſed, and laid up in the hands of a Father: Nothing, but, Sue out an Acquittance; yea, And at the hands of him, who is juſt, and will not deceive us; at the Hands of him who will certainly beſtow whatever his Son hath ſo dearly earned at his hands.

If a man Dye, and leave Legacies in the hands of ſuch who are faithful; may we not go and require them? When Chriſt Dyed, he intruſted All his Merits into the hands of his Father; and he hath left nothing for us to do, But go, and require all.

God entred into Bond and Covenant with Christ, That, if he would Bear ſin, we ſhould not bear them. That, if he would Dye for ſin, He would Pardon ſin; for all that is included in Iſa. 53—He ſhall ſee the Travel of his ſoul, and ſhall be ſatisfied.

Wel, now Chriſt hath done this; and having done it, he hath given all his fathers bills & bonds into our hands; & withal, a letter of attorney, whereby we are inabled to call for all this, at the hands of God.

It was for us, that Chriſt undertook the work; and all that Chriſt did, it was to ingage God to us: firſt to ſatisfie him, and then to ingage him; to make God our debtor, vvho vvere once his debtors. And, as long as there is any of the Blood of Christ to give out (which will never be ſpent, it is an everlaſting righteouſneſs) ſo long is the mercy of God, nay; the juſtice of God ingaged, to beſtow it on us, vvho by faith come over to him.

And there remains nothing for us to do, in point of juſtification, but, To ſue out all that that Chriſt hath purchaſed.

We live in the vvorld, as if vve vvere to purchaſe a pardon, vvhen vve are onelyonly to receive a pardon.

God arreſteth us for the Debt of ſin; But do you think it is, that we ſhould pay it? alas poor creatures! No, it is but to drive us out of our ſelves, and to bring us over unto Chriſt, who hath already paid the debt.

And, Oh! hovv ſhould this make us advance Chriſt, admire Chriſt, prize Chriſt! What ſhould indear our hearts more to Chriſt, than this, That he hath born our ſins, and ſo born them, as we ſhall never hear them? if vve have an intereſt in him.

8. Conſectary.

8. If ſin be the Greateſt Evil, Then it calls out,8. Conſectary. 1. For the Greateſt Sorrow. 2. For the Greateſt Hatred. 3. For the Greateſt Care to avoid it. 4. For the Greateſt Care to be rid of it.

p. 20If ſin be the Greateſt Evil, Then it muſt have The Greateſt Sorrow. 1. Sin calls for greateſt ſorrow.No affliction, no trouble, no evil, ſhould be ſo bitter to us, as ſin; becauſe ſin is the Greateſt Evil.

It is a ſad thing to ſee our hearts tender, and ſenſibly affected with Leſſer evils and troubles; and yet to be hard and inſenſible for ſin, which is the Greateſt of evils.

It would therefore be our wiſdom, when any other evils be upon us, To turn all our ſighs, tears and ſorrows upon ſin.

It is an Aphoriſm in Phyſick—Erumpens ſanguis, vená ſectâ ſiſtitur: If a man bleed vehemently in one place, they let him blood in another, and ſo turn the ſtream of blood another way.

It ſhould be our wiſdom, when our ſouls bleed, and our hearts mourn for other evils, to turn all thoſe mourning affections upon ſin: Let them run in the right chanel.

Thoſe tears muſt be wept over again, which are not ſhed for ſin. Sorrow is like Mercuries Influence: Good, if it be joyned with a Good; Bad, if it be joyned with a Bad Planet.

It is not ſo much the Sorrow, as the Ground and Spring of the Sorrow. The object of it is to be taken notice of. Sorrow was naught i… Judas, good in Peter; it was naught in Saul, good in David. In the one, it was a Sorrow to death; in the other, a Sorrow to cure the wound of Death. In the one, worldly; in the other, …dly—Worldly ſorrow cauſeth death. And ſuch is all ſorrow, th… hath not ſin for the ground, grace for the principle, God …t the end.

Where …n is apprehended the Greateſt evil, it will have the Greateſt ſorrow: Sorrow to exceed all other ſorrows.

1. Though not ever in quantity and bulk, yet in quality and worth: A little Gold is worth a great deal of Earth and Rubbiſh.

2. Though not in ſtrength, yet in length and continuance: Other ſorrows are but like a Land-flood, for a time, occaſioned by a Story, which, when that is over, the flood is down. This Godly ſorrow doth ariſe from a ſpring, and having a fountain to continue it, it is Permanent, when the other is gone. This is the difference between the Godly, and the other.

Gods people, their ſorrows, which are Spiritual, do ariſe from a ſpring; their worldly, from a ſtorm, a tempeſt. The wicked, their ſpiritual ſorrows ariſe from a ſtorm, ſome preſent vvringing of Conſcience, fear of vvrath; and their vvorldly ſorrovvs ariſe from a ſpring.

Where ſin is apprehended the Greateſt Evil, there it ſhall have the Greateſt ſorrow.

1. A ſorrow Proportionable to the Meaſures and Greatneſs of Sin.

2. A ſorrow Proportionable to the Merit and Deſert of Sin.

p. 21As the merit of ſin is infinite, ſo the ſorrovv for it muſt be an infinite ſorrovv. Infinite, I ſay, Non Actu, ſed Affectu, not in the act and expreſsion, but in the Deſire and Affection of the ſoul.

He, vvhoſe Heart and Eyes dry up together, vvhoſe Expreſsion in Tears, and Affection of Sorrow, do end together; though he had wept a ſea of Tears, he had not yet truly wept for ſin.

Where ſorrovv is Godly, it hath Affections of mourning, vvhen the expreſsion of mourning ceaſeth; becauſe every drop of tears doth ariſe from a ſpring of tears vvithin.

As every Act of Faith doth ariſe from a believing diſpoſition, an habit of faith vvithin; every act of Love, from a Principle of love vvithin: So every expreſsion of ſorrow from an affection of ſorrovv in the ſpirit—Hence vve read, 1 Sam. 7.6. their ſorrovv is expreſt by this Metaphor—They drew water (as out of a vvell) and poured it out before the Lord. Their eyes did not empty, ſo faſt as their hearts filled. Their eyes could not pour it forth, ſo faſt as their hearts did yield it up. All their Expreſsions of Mourning did fall ſhort of thoſe Affections of Sorrow vvhichwhich vvere in the heart.

This is ſorrow for ſin: A ſorrow proportioned to the meaſure, to the demerit of ſin: A ſorrow, that doth exceed al… other ſorrovvs; though not in quantity, yet in quality; th ugh not in ſtrength, yet in length and continuance.

2. Is ſin the Greateſt Evil, 2. Sin calls for the greateſt Hatred.Then it calls out for the Greateſt Hatred. Nothing is properly the Object of Hatred, but Evil: And that not All kind of Evil: but ſinful Evil—Penal Evils are rather the Objects of Fear, than of Hatred, becauſe theſe are Improperly Evil.

Nothing indeed is evil? but vvhat makes us evil: an… theſe may be a means to make us good; and therefore are not properly evil, and ſo an Object of hatred.

Sinful evil is properly the object of hatred, becauſe this is properly evil: and being the Greateſt of Evils, ſhould therefore have the greateſt of our hatred, Pſal. 92.10—You that love the Lord, ſee that you Hate evil. It is not enough for you, to be angry vvith ſin, and diſpleaſed vvith ſin; for ſo a man may be vvith his Friend, one vvhom he loves, upon ſome diſcourteſie: Nor is it enough that you ſhould ſtrike ſin; for ſo many do to day, and imbrace it to morrovv: But you muſt endeavor to kill ſin. Hatred labors after the Un-being of that it hates: Nothing but the deſtruction and blood of it, vvill ſatisfie the ſoul that truly hates ſin.

There is a great deal of miſtake in men, concerning this point. I might ſhevv you the ſecret deceits of the ſpirit, concerning it in brief, and hovv far thoſe come ſhort of hatred of ſin.

p. 221. A man may fall out with a ſinner, by whom he hath been drawn into ſin, and yet not Hate the ſin; execute the Traytor, and yet like the Treaſon.

2. A man may fall out with himſelf for ſin, and yet not hate ſin; When he hath brought ſome inconvenience to himſelf by his ſin, which otherwiſe he liketh well enough.

3. A man may fall out with ſin, and yet not hate ſin: Caſt away the coal, when burnt with the fire that is in it, and yet not offended with the blackneſs of it, or the defilement which he getteth by it.

3. Sin calls for the greateſt care to avoid it.3. If ſin be the Greateſt Evil, Then it calls out for the Greateſt Care to avoid it. Men are naturally afraid to fall into evil. What ſtudy, vvhat care, vvhat endeavors to prevent Evil? Did you apprehend ſin to be the Greateſt of Evils, there vvould be no leſs care to avoid ſin. You vvould endeavor to walk cloſely and exactly with God; to Beware of all the Occaſions, Allurements, &c which might draw you to ſin. You would watch in all Times, in all Companies, good and bad, in all Places: None are ſo ſecure, but you may fall into ſin, if you be neglective of your Chriſtian Watch.

Thus, where f… is apprehended to be the Greateſt Evil, there will be the Greateſt care and circumſpection againſt ſin. Such a man

1. He is Acquainted with the falls of others, which are to him, not Land-Ma ks to Walk by: but Sea-Marks, and Rocks to Shun,

2. He is Acquainted with the weakneſs and wickedneſs of his own heart and ſpirit; and therefore watches.

He knows he cannot truſt any member alone, without a Guard upon it.

The ey… are full of ſin: Adultery, Pride, Envy, luſts of the Eye, 1 Jonn 2.16. And he cannot truſt his eyes, without Jobs Covenan… I have made a Covenant with mine eyes; why then ſhould I think …n a maid? Chap. 31.1.

The Tongue is full of ſin: Of Curſings, Murmurings, Revilings, Vain-Communications: And there is no truſting of it, without David Bridle, Pſal. 39.7—I will keep my mouth, as with a Bridle, that I …ffend not with my Tongue. He knows his own weakneſs and wickedneſs; and therefore dares not truſt any member, without his Keeper.

3. Such a man, he is acquainted with the power and policy of Satan: who, as Luther calls him, is Non Promotus, ſed Expertus Doctor. A ſubtle enemy, whoſe Temptations are called—foreign, Rev. 2.24.—foreign, 1 Cor. 2.11,—foreign, Eph. 4.14.

He ſuits his temptations according too.

4. Such an one, he is acquainted with the danger and deceitfulneſs of ſin; and how it is

p. 231. Deceitful in its Object.

2. Deceitful in its Arguments.

3. Deceitful in its Pretences and Excuſes. Nullum vitium ſine patrocinio.

4. Deceitful in its Incroaches.

5. Deceitful in its Promiſes. And therefore will he keep an holy circumſpection, an humble, awful; jealous fear over his own ſpirit, leſt he ſhould fall into ſin. He looks on ſin, as his Greatest Evil; and his Greateſt care and endeavors are to avoid ſin.

4. If ſin be the Greateſt Evil, 4. Sin calls for greateſt endeavors to be rid of it.Then ſhould it be our chiefest endeavors to be rid of ſin. Every man would labor to be rid of an Evil, and the Greater the Evil, the greater is our deſire to be rid thereof.

Now ſin is the Greateſt of Evils: How much more then ſhould we labour and endeavor to be Rid of the Greatest of Evils?

Alas! Alas! what are all other Evils, to the Evil of Sin? which makes our good, evil. And yet to ſee the vileneſs of mens ſpirits, they would fain be rid of all other evils, but not of Sin: ſo Pharaoh—Take away this Death, this Plague. They complain of the evil cauſed, but not of the evil cauſing—of the evil puniſhing but not of the evil puniſhed—Flagella dolent: Quarè Flagellantur, non dolent, ſaith Auguſtine: They howl under the preſent ſcourges and afflictions, but never lament the ſin; they would fain be rid of the Pain, but yet they would fain keep the Tooth. Whereas alas! till ſin be removed, the afflictions will not be removed. If they be, yet not in mercy, but in judgement: And your Preſent Deliverance doth but Reſerve you for a ſeverer ſtroke.

Where on the contrary, If ſin be removed, the affliction will be removed. They are like the Body and the Shadow; Remove the Body, and the Shadow muſt needs be removed. Sin is the Body; and afflictions be but the Shadow.

Or, if the Afflictions do continue; yet, if God take away ſin, the Evil of the Evil is taken way. Sin is the ſting of every Affliction. Sin is that which imbitters every Croſs: And ſin being taken away, that which is Vindictive is taken way, and that which is Medicinal, and for Salvation, doth remain. It is more fruitful, than penal: All for merciful ends, and out of merciful reſpects; when ſin is taken away.

1. If ſin be the Greateſt Evil, Then let us rather chooſe to fall into the Greateſt Evil in the world, than into the leaſt evil of ſin.

All other Evils have ſome Good in them, and are to be the Objects of Choice, in caſe we cannot avoid them, but we muſt admit of ſin. Thus you ſee Moſes did; as you may read, Heb. 11. —He choſe rather to be afflicted with the people God, than to enjoy the pleaſures of ſin for a ſeaſon.

p. 24But now ſin, it is All-evil, and No-good; and there is nothing in the world ſhould make us to chuſe ſin.

2. Is ſin the Greateſt Evil? Let this then put us on to pity and pray for ſuch, who are under a state of ſin. You pity ſick Friends, poor Friends, undone Friends. But alas! what are all theſe evils, to the evil of ſin? what is Poverty? what is Sickneſs? what is anything, to the Evil of Sin? All theſe are but Outward: this is an Inward Evil. All theſe are but of a Temporal nature; Death but a Concluſion to them all. But this is of an Eternal nature. All other will never make you the Object of Gods wrath and hatred.

And therefore ſpend ſome tears, put up ſome prayers for ſuch, who are under the ſtate of ſin. O (ſaith Abraham) that Iſmael might live in thy ſight! So ſay thou, There is ſuch a Friend, and ſuch a Friend, a Brother, a Father, &c. who lies under ſin, is in a ſtate of ſin; Oh! that thou wouldſt pity their ſouls! Oh! that thou wouldst ſnatch them out of the ſtate of ſin!

3. If ſin be ſo Great an Evil, Let us then fall down and Admire,

1. The greatneſs of Gods Patience in bearing with ſinners.

2. The greatneſs of Gods mercy in pardoning ſin.

1. Admire Gods patience in bearing with ſinners.1. Here Admire the greatneſs of Gods patience in bearing with ſinners. It may be thou haſt been an Unclean Sinner, a Drunken ſinner, a Swearing-wretch, theſe twenty, thirty, forty, it may be threeſcore years, and more. And hath God ſpared thee? Oh! here ſee the wonder of Gods patience!

If it were not, that God is Almighty in the power of his patience, it had been impoſsible he ſhould have ſpared thee ſo long. He tells us ſo, Hoſ. 11.9. I am God, and not man—I will not enter into the city, viz. to deſtroy it. So Mal. 3.6.—I am JEHOVAH, I change not—Therefore ye ſons of Jacob are not conſumed; Implying, if he had not been God, if he had not been Almighty in the power of his patience, they had certainly been cut off long before.

If men be daily provoked and irritated with injuries, and do not come out to revenge, we attribute it either to their Puſillanimity, or to their Impotency; either to their want of courage, or want of Power. But now it is not ſo with God, His patience is his power. Numb. 14.17, 18. when God had threatned to deſtroy them, Moſes prays to God to forbear them, and he calls that Act of his patience, no leſs than his power—Now, I beſeech thee, let the power of my Lord be great, according as thou haſt ſpoken—The Lord is long-ſuffering, &c. where you ſee, he makes his patience his power. And ſo it is indeed, if you conſider what ſin is. Shall I ſay no more of it, than this, which God ſaith, Levit. 26.21. It is contrary to God.

p. 251 It is contrary to the works of God. 1 Sin contrary to Gods works.As ſoon as God ſet up and perfected the frame of the world, ſin gave a ſhrewd ſhake to all, it unpin'd this frame, and had like to have pull'd all in pieces again. And had it not been for the promiſe of Chriſt, all this frame had fallen in pieces again.

If a man ſhould come into a curious Artificers ſhop, and ſhould with one blow daſh in pieces a Piece of Art, which coſt him many years ſtudy and pains the contriving of it. How could he bear with it? Thus ſin did, and yet that God ſhould forbear, Oh! Omnipotent patience!

2. But yet further; It is Contrary to Gods nature. 2 Sin contrary to Gods Nature.God is holy, ſin unholy; God is pure, ſin is filthy; and therefore compar'd ſtill to the moſt filthieſt things in the world, to the Poyſon of Aſpes, to Ulcers, Soars, &c. If all the Noyſom Pollutions in the world met in one common Stuk, it would never equal the Pollution of ſin.

God is good, perfect Good: Sin is evil, univerſally evil. There is good in all other things, Plague, Sickneſs, Hell it ſelf, in a kinde, hath a good in it: None in ſin.

Sin is the Practical-blaſphemy of all the name of God. It is the Dare of his Juſtice, the Rape of his Mercy, the Jeer of his Patience, the Slight of his Power, the Contempt of his Love: It is every way contrary to God.

3. It is contrary to the will of God. God bids us—Do this; 3 Sin contrary to the will of God.Sin ſaith—I will not do it—Sanctifie my Sabbath—I will not ſanctifie it. Here is Contradiction: And! who can endure Contradiction?

It is ſet down as a great piece of Christs ſufferings, Heb. 12.3. —That he indured the contradiction of ſinners againſt himſelf: certainly it was a great ſuffering. How can a Wiſeman indure to be contradicted by a fool? And here, that Chriſt, who was The Wiſdom of the Father, ſhould bear with ſuch contradiction from fools; here vvas a great piece of Suffering.

Now ſin is a contradiction of God: Sets Will, againſt Wiſdom; and the Hell of a wicked Will, againſt an Heaven of Infinite Wiſdom, And that God ſhould bear vvith ſuch ſinners; here is a Wonder.

You knovv in all the Creatures, Contrariety makes all the Combuſtion: It makes all the War in nature, it cauſeth one Element to fight againſt another: Fire againſt Water, Water againſt Fire: It will make very Stones to ſweat, and burſt aſunder.

Travel through the vvhole Creation, and you ſhall not ſee Any Creature, that can bear vvith its Contrary. And that God and Sin ſhould be Contrary, and yet the Sinner live in the World: Here is a Wonder, a VVonder of Patience.

p. 262 Admire Gods mercy in pardoning ſin.2. Is ſin ſo Great an Evil? Let us then fall down, and Admire the greatneſs of Gods mercy in pardoning ſin.

You ſee how the Prophet cryes out and Admires, Mic. 7.18— Who is a God like unto thee! That pardoneth iniquity, and paſſeth by the Tranſgreſsions of the remnant of his heritage!

It is one of the Greateſt works, that God doth in the world, To pardon ſin. A work in which he declares, All his glorious Attributes: His Wiſdom, his Power, his Juſtice, his Mercy, his Holineſs, &c. in pardoning ſin.

Men that have cheap and ſlight thoughts of Gods Pardoning-Mercy; have thereby an evident ſign, They never had a pardon: never knew what it was indeed, To have a pardon.

If ever any work in the world did put God to it, then this of the Pardon of ſin. And, if ever God do intend thee any good, he will inſtruct thee, and rectifie thy judgement in this, Touching the Pardon of ſin.

Therefore doth God humble men, at their Bringing-in, To raiſe up their esteem of a pardon, To advance the greatneſs of his own Mercy, in Pardoning ſin.

And indeed we ſhould not need ſuch great Preparations and Humiliations in coming to Chriſt, if we had but Greater thoughts of the Pardon of ſin.

Men make no more of a Pardon, than to Cry God Mercy. Swear an oath, and then ſay,—God forgive me. Or ſay,—Lord have mercy on me, when I dye.

It was ſaid of Lewis the 11. King of France, that He wore a Crucifix in his hat, and when he had ſinned, he would but kiſs his Crucifix, and then all was done. And ſo the Papiſts make it no more but a Crucifix, and a Confeſsion. Ah! my Brethren, if ever God mean good to you, he will make you Know what a Pardon is. Iſa. 55.7. when God would draw men up, to Shew them a Pardon; he calls them Above all the World—My thoughts are not as your thoughts; nor your ways, my ways, ſaith the Lord. If they were, then I could not multiply Pardons: But as the Heavens are higher than earth, ſo are my thoughts above your thoughts, and my ways above your ways. I am infinite.

If Gods Creating-mercy were ſo great, as David vvith doubled Admiration ſets it out, Pſal. 8.1. and the laſt verſes,— O Lord, our Lord! how wonderful is thy Name in all the world: who haſt ſet thy Glory above the Heavens. What is then his Pardoning Mercy?

3. Laſtly, Is ſin ſo Great an Evil? Then ſee What cauſe we have to humble our ſouls before God this day, That vve have had ſuch ſlight thoughts of ſin, vvho hath thus judged ſin to be the Greateſt of all Evils: What ſlight thoughts have vve of ſin? vve can ſvvallovv it, vvithout fear; vve can live in it, vvithout ſenſe; vve can commit it, vvithout remorſe. All vvhichwhich ſhevv…, p. 27vve have but ſlight thoughts of ſin, vve do not apprehend ſin to be ſuch an evil as indeed it is.

Nay, Hovv faulty are Gods people themſelves here? What mean thoughts have they of ſin?

They are not ſo watchful againſt it, not ſo Burdened vvith it, not ſo troubled for it, as they ought to be. All vvhichwhich ſhevvs, that though ſin do appear to them, to be A great Evil, and, The Greateſt of all other Evils, yet they do not apprehend it to be ſo Great an Evil as it is.

Now, that you may be able to have ſome ſuitable conceptions of ſin to the greatneſs of it; that you may be able to ſee ſin exceeding ſinful, I will briefly preſent it to you in theſe Six Glaſſes:

1. Look upon it, In the Glaſs of Nature; which, though it be but a Dim-Glaſs, a Blown-Glaſs: Sin hath dimmed it; yet is this able to diſcover a great deal of the evil of ſin. The very Heathen themſelves have ſeen and judged many ſins to be the greateſt of evils.

Though Spiritual ſins were hid from them, their light was not able to diſcover Infidelity, and Goſpel-ſins; yet Moral-ſins they have diſcovered, and have avoided them, and would hazard themſelves; nay, and ſuffer too, rather than they would commit ſuch ſins. The examples of Plato, Scipio, Cato, and many others, will clear this.

And all this was diſcovered by the Glaſs of Nature, done by Nature; but not by meer Nature fallen, but by Nature well-huſbanded, by Nature improved, by the implantation of Moral Principles, together with Reſtraining Grace, and other common gifts of the Spirit.

The Greatneſs of their Hatred againſt ſin, the Greatneſs of their Care to avoid ſin, the Greatneſs of their Sufferings, rather than they would commit ſin, might be enough to diſcover to us, the Greatneſs of the Evil of ſin. But paſs by this.

2. The ſecond Glaſs, wherein you may ſee the greatneſs of ſin, is, The Glaſs of the Law.

A Glaſs which diſcovers ſin in all its Dimenſions, the Guilt, Demerit, Filthineſs and Sinfulneſs of ſin. Hence the Apoſtle, Rom. 7.7. ſaith—I had not known ſin, but by the Law; that is, I had not known ſin ſo hainous as it is, I had not known ſin in the wideneſs and latitude of it: I had not known the ſinfulneſs of ſin, if it had not been for the Law, if the Law had not been a Glaſs to have diſcovered ſin to me. This diſcovered ſin in its Greatneſs: David, Pſal. 119.96—I have ſeen an end of all Perfection, but thy Law is exceeding broad; that is, by revealing the compaſs of ſin in proportion to its Wideneſs and Greatneſs.

Oh! This will diſcover to thee more nakedneſs in one ſin, than all the world can cover; more indigency in one ſin, than all the p. 28Treaſures of created righteouſneſs in heaven and earth are able to ſupply; more obliquity and injuſtice in one ſin, in a very wandring thought, than all the Deaths of men, and Annihilations of Angels are able to Expiate.

Search into the Law, and thou ſhalt diſcover Thouſands of ſins which fall under Any One Law of God. Oh! Here is A Glaſs!

3. Look upon ſin in The Glaſs of the Griefs, Woundings, Peircings, and Sorrows, which the Saints have found,

1. In their Admiſsions, and firſt Entrance into the ſtate of Grace.

2. In their Relapſings and Turnings again to folly.

1. For the firſt: See what Groans, Humiliations, they have indured in their firſt admiſſions into an eſtate of Grace, in Manaſſeth, 2 Chron. 33.12. in Paul, Acts 9. in the Converted Jews, Acts 2.37. when the nails which peirced Chriſt, now ſtuck in their hearts, as the arrow in the ſtags ſide.

How many of the Saints have there been, who have been caſt into a bed of miſerable ſorrow, lain bed-rid under the ſtroke of Juſtice perhaps for many years: And all this for ſin. No age is without a Thouſand examples of it.

2. Look upon the ſorrows and breakings, which the Saints have indured upon their Relapſing into ſin. See in Peter, in David: Read what ſad expreſſions he hath in Pſalm 6. from verſ. 1. to verſ. 7. and in Pſalm 32.3, 4, 5 verſes. So Pſalm 51.

How doth he complain how his—Soul is troubled—his bones are broken—his eyes are conſumed with ſorrow—his bed ſwims with tears? And all this for ſin—Here is a Glaſs, wherein you may ſee the Evil of ſin to be the Greatest Evil.

Yea, and the leaſt ſin, when God ſets it on, will do all this.

4. Look upon ſin in Adam; and there ſee the greatneſs of it. That one ſin of Adam, hath brought All the Miſeries, Sickneſs, Death, &c. upon All his Poſterity ſince that time.

It hath been the Damnation of thouſands of millions of men; and ſtill it runs on. Gods juſtice is ſtill unſatisfied; if it were, there would be a ſtop: We ſhould Dye no more, Be ſick no more, &c.

Oh! Here you may ſee ſin; ſin in its Extenſiveneſs.

5. Look upon ſin in Chriſt: See there what Humblings, what Breakings, what Woundings, what Peircings, what Wrath it brought upon Chriſt himſelf. It was that, which mingled that Bitter Cup, with ſuch woful ingredients; which, had we but fipt of it, when it was ſo tempered, would have laid our ſouls under more wrath, than All the damned in Hell do ſuffer. Chriſt did Bear Pure Juſtice for ſin.

p. 29Nay, it made him, who was God as well as man, ſanctified by the Spirit to that work, ſtrengthned by the Deity, To ſweat drops of blood, and even to ſtruggle, and ſeem to draw back, and pray againſt the work of his own Mercy, and to decline the buſineſs of his own coming into the world.

Ah! none knows but Chriſt, nor is a finite underſtanding able to conceive, what Chriſt underwent, when he was to Bear ſin, and with that To wreſtle with the infinite wrath and juſtice of the infinite God; the Terrors of death, and the Powers of the world to come. Here is a Glaſs, wherein you may ſee The greatneſs of ſin, The wideneſs of ſin, The guilt of ſin, The demerit of ſin: All which are ſet out to the life, in the Death, Sufferings, Breakings and Woundings of the Son of God.

You, that make light of ſin, go to Chriſt, and ask him, How heavy it was; even that, which you make ſo light of, which preſſed him down to the ground. And the leaſt ſin would have preſſed thee, and all the pillars of heaven, to the Bottom of Hell for ever.

6. A ſixth Glaſs. Look upon ſin in the Damnation of the ſoul for ever; that nothing would ſatisfie the juſtice of God, but the Deſtruction of the Creature. No Sickneſs, no Priſons; no Blood, no Sufferings, but the Sufferings of Hell: And thoſe not for a Time, but for Ever. Ah! ſee here the greatneſs of ſin; which might be further amplified by the conſideration of the preciouſneſs of the ſoul, which yet ſin ruines to all eternity. And therefore would you know ſin? Quaere Damnatos, Ask the damned what ſin is. Lay thy Ear to Hell, and hear thoſe Skreechings, thoſe Howlings, thoſe Roarings of the Damned. And all this is for ſin. Oh they are dear-bought pleaſures, which muſt be thus payed for with everlaſting pains.

Thus you ſee what ſin is by all theſe Glaſſes: And therefore, Oh! how ought we to be Humbled for our ſlight thoughts of ſin, which is ſo great an Evil?

USE.

Now if it be ſo, Then ſee what need we have to Aggravate ſin to the utmoſt in our confeſsions of ſin; becauſe all we can ſay of it, will fall infinitely ſhort of the Ha…nouſneſs of ſin.

You can aggravate no ſin ſo high, as to raiſe it above it ſelfe as to make ſin greater than it is. You can have No Magnifying Glaſs, to greaten ſin above the Greatneſs of it. You have ſuch Glaſſes: to make greater other things above their own higneſs; which are able to preſent ſmall things great; mean things, of vaſt bigneſs: But you have no Glaſs to multiply ſin, and make ſin appear Bigger than it is.

The ſufferings of the Saints, the ſorrows of the Saints; the p. 30ſufferings of the Damned are too ſhort; The Glaſs ot the Law, the Glaſs of Chriſts ſufferings (which is the greateſt) this doth not ſhew ſin greater than it is: It doth but diſcover ſin in its Juſt Proportions and Dimenſions.

It had not been juſtice in God, to have required more blood, and to put his own Son to more ſuffering, than ſin deſerved. Nor would this have ſtood with Gods Love, his Pity and Mercy to his Son, to have put him to more than ſin deſerved.

Though now there be mercy more than enough for the greateſt ſinners; as the Apoſtle ſaith, 1 Tim. 1.14. yet there was not Juſtice more than enough exerciſed upon Chriſt for the demerit and guilt of ſin.

The Death of Chriſt was—foreign—An Adequate Ranſome for our ſouls and ſins: And yet there is a Redundancy of merit, an Overflowing of merit in the Satisfaction of Chriſt, to Ranſome a thouſand worlds more to that, if need were. As ſin is infinite, in regard of the Object; ſo Satisfaction is infinite, in reſpect of the Merit.

Hence Chriſts death is not onelyonly ſaid to be A Satisfaction, but A Purchaſe; not onelyonly A Payment, but A Purchaſe.

A Satisfaction it was to the Juſtice of God for ſin, Full. And A Purchaſe of all good things from the Mercy of God; to which his Justice, in reſpect of the Validity and Worth of Chriſts Satisfaction, is Bound to us. But this by way of Digreſsion.

See then, what need there is, To Aggravate ſin to the utmost; becauſe we cannot multiply ſin to the greatneſs of it. There will be many ſingular fruits of ſo doing.

1. This will breed ſhame and confuſion of ſpirit for ſin.

2. This will make you advance, and reliſh mercy better.

When the debt ſeems little, we are ready and apt to undervalue a pardon. But, when ſin appears exceeding ſinful, this doth make us value mercy, prize a pardon.

When ſin is ſeen the greateſt Evil, Mercy and Pardon will be apprehended the greateſt Good.

3. This puts us into the neereſt diſpoſition, To forſake ſin. As he, who extenuates ſin; is reſolved to continue in ſin; ſo he, who truly aggravates ſin, deſires to be rid of it.

4. Beſides, It breeds a Diſplacency with our ſelves, when we conſider, How ill we have dealt with God.

5. It produceth ſelf-judging, and ſelf-condemnation: as we ſee in David, Pſal. 51.

6. It will produce ſpiritual ſoftneſs, and tenderneſs of heart for ſin. But this I muſt paſs over.

p. 31USE.

If ſin be the Greateſt Evil, Then it is the Greateſt Mercy in the world to be rid of ſin. The greater the evil is, the greater is the mercy to be rid of it. But now ſin is the Greateſt Evil.

And therefore you ſhall ſee it ſet down as the only mercy that comes in by Chriſt, Mat. 1.25—He ſhall be called JESUS, becauſe he ſhall ſave his people from their ſins.

As if all other things coming in by Chriſt, were included in this one, He ſhall ſave his people from their ſins. He doth not ſay— Hee ſhall ſave his people from Hell, &c, but, From ſin: From no other evil in the world. And this is the Greateſt Mercy.

When God would ſpeak the utmoſt, even the greateſt thought of Mercy, that ever came upon his heart; when he would ſet down the greateſt work of Mercy, that ever the God of Mercy wrought: he ſaith no more, but, He ſhall ſave his people from their ſins.

Sin was the utmoſt Evil; and therefore the ſaving from ſin was the greateſt good. And hence David, Pſal 32.1, 2. ſaith—Bleſſed is he whoſe iniquity is forgiven, and whoſe ſin is covered: Bleſſed is that man, to whom the Lord imputeth not ſin.

Indeed, we have mean thoughts, cheap thoughts of pardon of ſin; and the reaſon is, becauſe we have ſlight thoughts of ſin: But, if God once open our underſtanding, and make us ſee the vaſtneſs and wideneſs of the evil of ſin; and, if that he ſhould joyn a feeling ſenſe to that ſight, and make us feel what ſin is; if he ſhould let but the leaſt ſparkle of his wrath fall upon our ſpirits for ſin, it would make our faces gather blackneſs; we ſhould quickly change our note, and ſay,—Oh! Bleſſed, and for ever bleſſed are they, whoſe iniquity is forgiven, and whoſe ſin is covered.

But, leſt I ſhould ſeem to Beat the aire, we will therefore Circumſtantiate this Mercy a little; and you ſhall ſee the Greatneſs of it.

Though indeed, this were enough, to tell you, that ſin is the Greateſt Evil: Thence would neceſſarily follow, That it is the Greateſt Mercy in the world, To be rid of ſin; which will more fully appear, if we conſider the following particulars:

1. Firſt then, The pardon of ſin is the deareſt-bought Mercy; and that is ſomething to ſhew the Greatneſs of the Mercy.

You know, the Greater the ſum is, that is to be paid for the Purchaſe of a thing (provided there be no want of wiſdom in the Buyer, nor want of Honeſty in the Seller) the Greater ſtill, and of more worth is the Thing bought or Purchaſed.

But now This Mercy, Pardon of ſin, was a Mercy dear-bought: It coſt Blood, Mat. 26.28. and that—Not the blood of Bulls and p. 32Goats; for that it was impoſsible it ſhould take away ſins, as the Apoſtle hath it, Heb. 10.4. What then was it? Why it was The Precious blood of Chriſt, 1 Pet. 1.18, 19.—You were not redeemed with corruptible things, as ſilver and gold, from your vain converſation; but with the precious Blood of Christ, as of a Lamb without blemiſh and ſpot. And this, The Blood of God; Acts 20.28.— Feed the Church of God, which he hath purchaſed with his own Blood.

Now ſit down, and think what a Mercy that muſt needs be, which is the Price of blood, and that of the Son of God.

There was no Want of Wiſdom in the Buyer; he could not be over-reacht, he knew the worth of the Commodity: Nor was there want of juſtice or goodneſs in the Seller. He was juſt, and would not take one drop of blood more than the thing was worth: And he was A Father too, and therefore would not put his Son to more ſufferings, and require more than the thing was worth.

2. This is the pureſt Mercy of all other, The Pardon of ſin, A mercy that comes from the Heart and Good-will of God to you.

God may give you all other things, and hate you. You may be Rich, and yet Reprobates; Great in the world here, and be Damned hereafter. Dives may have wealth, Herod Eloquence, Saul Command, Agryppa Glorious Apparel: a man may do wickedly, and yet proſper. Theſe things are not Truly good, nor Truly evil. If good, the wicked ſhould not have them: If evil, the Saints ſhould not have them. Theſe are ſuch things as God reacheth from his Hand, not from his Heart: they are general favors, not ſpecial Love.

But this is a Peculiar-Favor, the Saints Peculiar, Pure-Mercy, a mercy that came from the Bowels of mercy, the Heart of Mercy.

3. This is the Freeſt Mercy of all other, Pardon of ſin.

1. There was nothing to ingage God to do it.

2. Nor was there any thing, we could do, to purchaſe it.

All our Prayers, our Tears, our Services, could not purchaſe the Pardon of one ſin. If for the Active Part we could do as much, and for the Paſsive part we could ſuffer as much as all the Saints, put together, have done from the beginning of the world to this day.

If we ſhould weep as many Tears, as the Sea holds drops; if we ſhould humble our ſelves as many days, as the world hath ſtood minutes from the creation, &c. All this were Too ſhort to purchaſe us the Pardon of one ſin, though vve did all vvithout ſin.

But Alas! All that ever vve can do, is ſo far from ſtriking p. 33off any Former ſcore, that we do but ſet our ſelves further in debt thereby: So far are we from purchaſing a Pardon, that we do but increaſe our Treaſon—Operamur, non in juſtificationem: ſed ex juſtificatione: we must not work, that we may be juſtified: but we are juſtified, that we may work.—So that it is the Freeſt-Mercy.

And therefore in Scripture you read it all attributed to Grace, Tit. 3.7—We are juſtified freely by his Grace—Rom. 3.24.— Being juſtified freely by his Grace,—Rom. 4.5.—God juſtifies the ungodly—There is no motive in us, All is from God. And you ſhall ſee it plain, one place for two: In Iſa. 43. Verſe 23, 24, 25. —Thou hast bought me no ſweet cane with money, nor haſt thou made me drink with the fat of thy Sacrifices: But thou haſt made me ſerve with thy ſins, thou haſt wearied me with thy iniquities— I, I, am he, that putteth away thy iniquities, for my own names ſake, and will not remember thy ſins. Would a man have expected this? this ſheweth freeneſs, when not onelyonly no deſervings, (as it is v. 23. and former part of v. 24. Thou haſt not, &c. but contrary deſervings; Thou haſt wearied mee with thine iniquities. Oh infinite, oh freeſt mercy. God is mercifull only becauſe hee will bee mercifull.

4 It is an Intituling Mercy: A Mercy that Intitles you to more Good than I am able to expreſs, or you able to conceive. It is a Mercy, that doth intereſt you in all other Mercies. It Intitles you to all the Good on Earth, to All the glory of Heaven. Nay, it is a Mercy-making-Mercy. A mercy, that makes all other things Mercy to you.

1. Good things are mercies. Your Riches, your Greatneſs, your Poſſeſſions, your Husbands, your Wives, Children, &c. all theſe things are no Bleſsings, till they be joyned with a Pardon; and that makes them all bleſſings. Nay, not onelyonly Good things: But,

2. Evil things are Mercies to you. Pardon of ſin makes Poverty, Afflictions, Sickneſs, Death it ſelf a Mercy: Like the Unicorns horn, it takes away the venome and poyſon of every Water: Like the Philoſophers-ſtone, it turns All into Gold. So ſaith the Apoſtle— All things work together for good unto them that love God. A Sanctified-Croſs, is better than an Unſanctified Comfort. A loſs in Mercy, is better than an enjoyment in Wrath.

You are never able to make it good, that God doth beſtow any thing in mercy, till ſin be forgiven. Guilt of ſin upon you doth turn the nature of things, and makes thoſe things which are good in themſelves, evil to you.

5. It is an irrevocable-mercy—God may give in other mercies, and call for them again. Indeed other things are rather lent, than given: Lent Husband, Lent Wife, &c. Hence they are ſaid to be but Talents in our hands, and we Stewards of them p. 34for a time. God may call for them when he pleaſeth; or we may forfeit them, and loſe them.

How often do we forfeit and loſe good things, becauſe of our unworthy walking in the enjoyment thereof? Hoſ, 2.8, 9—I will take away my corn in the time thereof; my wine, and my flax in their ſeaſon. [Mine] It was Gods. And, would you know the reaſon? ſee in the former verſe, Becauſe they did not acknowledge him as the giver of them, but beſtowed them on Baal, as though he had given them.

But now this Mercy is an irrevocable Mercy: A mercy that God never recals; A Mercy, God never repents of—The gifts and graces of God are without repentance—And it is a Mercy never forfeited.

We may forfeit the ſenſe of a pardon, we may forfeit the comfort of a pardon; nay, we may forfeit the knowledge of a pardon. I ſay, you may ſin away the ſenſe, the comfort, the knowledge of a pardon: as it was with David.

But we ſhall never forfeit a pardon—Quod Scripſi, Scripſi. If all this foreſeen could not hinder God from giving out a pardon; neither can it make God repent of a pardon, when he hath given it.

Now the Stability of the Mercy is that, which addes a great deal of worth to the Mercy. As things that are Evil; ſo much more things that are good, are heightned from the conſideration of the continuance of them, the Stability and Laſtingneſs of them.

Now this is a Stable Mercy. Take but one Place, Iſa. 54.8, 9, 10—For this is as the waters of Noah unto me: For, as I have ſworn that the waters of Noah ſhould no more go over the earth: So have I ſworn, that I will not be wroth with thee, nor rebuke thee. —Yet further—For the mountains ſhall depart, and the hills ſhall be removed: but my kindeneſs ſhall never depart from thee, nor ſhall the Covenant of my peace be removed.

This is the difference betwixt the Covenant of Works, and the Covenant of Grace. The one, is Temporary; the other, is Eternal. It is a Temporary Covenant, though an Eternal Rule: The other is Eternal, and Immutable.

6. Pardon of ſin is an Univerſal Mercy, the Womb of Mercy, a Productive-Mercy; all other mercies grow upon this Tree of Forgiveneſs of ſin. It is a Tree, the Root whereof is in Chriſt; and the Fruit thereof are All good things on Earth, and Glory in Heaven. There are Seven glorious Fruits of Pardon of ſin; which I will but name, and ſo come to the Laſt Uſe.

1. Reconciliation with God, 2 Cor. 5.19. Admiſsion into his favour. He, who before was an Enemy, is now become thy Friend; for nothing makes God an Enemy, but ſin. And ſuch a Friend he is, who will be a Friend in life, a friend in Death, when all other Friends forſake; and a Friend after death.

p. 352. Adoption of Children: which followeth upon our pardon in juſtification.

3. Acceſs to God, as to a Father, with childe-like boldneſs. Sin was that foreign—that great Gulf betwixt God and us. Sin the Partition-wall betwixt God and us: now ſin being pardoned, this Partition-wall is taken down, and there is Acceſs to God, and Acceſs with boldneſs.

4. Acceptation of our Services: Till ſin be pardoned, there is no Acceptation of any ſervice: Till our perſons be accepted and reconcil'd, our performances are abominable: But now ſin being pardoned, here is acceptance for all our ſervices. He drinks the milk as well as the wine, Cant. 5.1. And eats the honey-comb with the Honey, &c.

5. Sanctification of every condition to us: When ſin is removed which was the curſe in all.

6. Supportation under Croſſes: Upon removal of ſin, which was in all, the heavieſt burden.

7. Participation of all the priviledges of the Covenant: Theſe are the inſeparable fruits of pardon.

There are other, as Peace, Joy, Comfort, Rom. 5.1. which indeed are not ſo much Fruits of pardon, as Fruits of Aſſurance of pardon; not the next, but the remoter fruits of pardon.

USE.

Laſtly, Is ſin the Greateſt Evil in the world? Oh then! let us, Above all things in the world, labour to get our ſelves rid of ſin: Get a pardon of ſin. Say with David—Oh! Take away the iniquity of thy ſervant.

What will the enjoyment of all other goods profit thee, if thy ſins be not pardoned? what profit had Dives of his wealth? Saul of his Kingdom? &c.

It is a thing greatly to be lamented to ſee, How active and ſerious men are, about removing of other evils on them, and the purchaſing and procuring of other goods; but yet how ſlight, how ſuperficial they are about getting Pardon of ſin.

Thy Perſon is under the Guilt of Sin. Thou ſtandeſt a Condemned man and woman—Damnatus antequam Natus. And God hath given thee time, and that time is not a time of Reprival onelyonly; but is a time, that God hath afforded thee to get a pardon in.

And it coſt no leſs than the Blood of Chriſt, to procure thee this time; it was that that made a ſtop of the preſent proceedings of Gods juſtice againſt thee; elſe thou hadſt been in Hell long ago.

And wilt thou Squander away This Time? wilt thou Neglect This Buſineſs? wilt thou eat away, ſleep away, nay, drink away, ſin away a Pardon?

p. 36If there were a man condemned to dye, and yet were, out of Mercy, Reprived, That hee might procure his Pardon, and the King were willing to grant him a pardon; would you not think that man deſerves to dy, who ſhall now ſpend this time in drinking, in revelling, &c? why this is your caſe.

But yet there is another ſort that will ſeek for a pardon; but they ſeek it coldly, they ſeek it formally, they ſeek it ſleightly and ſuperficially, they ſeek it as if they had no need of it; as if they could do well enough, though they wanted a Pardon.

There is a great deal of dallying with God, about this Great buſineſs. Moſt men in the World do but Trifle with God about it.

I will name you five or ſix ſorts of men, who are Triſters with GOD, in this main, and concerning matter; and theſe none of the meaneſt neither. I ſhall not now deal with your Debaucht People; but ſuch as will ſeem to do ſomewhat for a pardon.

1 Such, who will ſeek, and perhaps cry earneſtly; but yet ſtill continue in the practice of thoſe ſins, which they beg a pardon of.

I ſpeak not now of Sins of Courſe.—Peccata quotidianae incurſionis: Sins of daily incurſion: Sins of Infirmitie, weakneſs and Imperfections in Duty; Theſe the beſt, notwithſtanding their daily praying for pardon of, do yet too often fall into.

But I ſpeak of groſſer-ſins.— Peccata Vaſtantia Conſcientiam: Sins wounding and gaſhing the Conſcience. And this is a fearfull thing, fearfull dallying with GOD.

What would you think of ſuch a man, who ſhould come to beg a Pardon; and yet, before the Pardon were given out, ſhould run to commit new acts of Treaſon? This is thy caſe.

I ſee many of you living in a Courſe of ſin; Potting, ſwilling, ſwearing. I am aſhamed to name them.

Do you pray for a Pardon? Or do you not pray? If you do not pray, you are no better than Atheiſts. And do you pray for a Pardon, and yet live in the practice of thoſe ſins, you beg pardon of? Oh! what fearfull dallying with GOD is here!

Oh! you little think what a ſtrong tye this is againſt ſin, To pray for the pardon of ſin. What? Have you been confeſsing ſin, humbling your ſouls for ſin; begging of Pardon of Sin? And, no ſooner turn your backs upon God, but return to Sin? Ah! This is fearfull dallying indeed.

And this is a Fearfull aggravation of Sin; you think to have ſomething come in for your dayes of Humiliation, for your prayers for pardon of Sin; you think there is ſome good in it. Why? you have begged a Pardon, though you have Sin'd; yet you have prayed, and therefore hope, that notwithſtanding your ſins; God will hear your prayers.

p. 37But doſt thou live in ſin, and confeſs ſin? Doſt thou practice ſin? and yet pray for pardon of ſin? Doſt thou commit ſin, and yet humble thy ſelf for ſin.

Oh! Theſe are Great Aggravations of ſin: theſe do adde more weight to ſin.

Do you think it would be an Extenuation, or an Aggravation, for a Malefactor to beg a pardon, and yet run to the ſame Rebellion again? would he think this To leſſen his ſin, becauſe he hath formerly beg'd a Pardon? No certainly, he would look upon this as a Greater Aggravation. Why this is thy caſe.

And this you ſhall ſee, was Iſraels ſpirit, which was ſo much diſpleaſing to God, Jer. 3.4.—Thou art my Father, and the Guide of my youth—They gave God good words, compaſt him about with good expreſsions. But, ſaith the Lord—This haſt thou done, and yet done as much evil as thou couldst, v. 5.

2. A ſecond ſort, who dally with God, are ſuch, who ſeek the pardon of ſome ſins, but yet keep up the love and liking of others. Thou art, it may be, Pinched and Troubled for ſome groſs ſins, and thou beg'ſt a pardon for them; when, it may be, there is ſome Running-Iſſue of corruption within, which thou Overlook'st; ſome ſecret Haunt of Villany, that thy heart runs out after; which thou canſt not leave, which thou haſt no minde to part withal.

Oh! Thou vain man! Thou maiſt cry all thy life, and ſhalt never get good. Thou maiſt pray as long as thou wilt: That One ſin, kept with love and liking, will Turn all thy prayers into ſin. God will never regard the Prayers of a ſin-regarding-ſinner. Pſal. 66.18. —If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me: though I ſhould never act it in my life.

Didſt thou know the Tenor of the Covenant of Grace and Mercy, the Strictneſs of the Goſpel, and Severity of Mercy it ſelf againſt ſin; thou wouldſt ſee, There were an impoſsibility of having one ſin forgiven, as long as one ſin is unforſaken.

Justification and Sanctification: Gods forgiving, and our forgoing, are equally as large one as the other. As God juſtifies from the guilt of all ſin; ſo he ſanctifies from the Corruption of all Sin.

Grace in God forgives all Sin. And,

Grace in us makes us forgo all Sin: where ſin is forgiven, there ſin is forſaken.

3. A Third ſort, are they, Who ſeek a pardon of Sin, without ſenſe of Sin; who ſeek forgiveneſs of Sin, without remorſe for ſin: Men, who are never troubled with any ſenſe, with any compunction of heart for ſin.

Would you not take it for a dallying with you; if one had greatly offended you, and ſhould come to deſire you your forgiveneſs, without any ſenſe or remorſe of it? What do you think God will do?

This is certain—Without blood there is no Remiſsion of Sin, as the p. 38Apoſtle ſpeaks—Chriſt was wounded, and thou muſt be wounded too, before thou haſt a pardon—Chriſt did bleed, and conſcience muſt bleed, before ever he give a pardon.

It was a ſpeech of Bradford—He never left a duty, till, &c.

Will a man in good earneſt beg a pardon, who was never attached for Treaſon, or ſo much as throughly ſenſible, that he is guilty of it?

4. A Fourth ſort, are ſuch, as cry for Forgiveneſs, but yet never look after their Prayers. Would you not think it a ſlighting, if a man, who had offended you, ſhould come and beg a pardon; and as ſoon as he had ſaid a few words to you, ſhould turn his back, and go away, and never expect, nor wait for an anſwer from you?

Why thus do you deal with God: You put up prayers, but look not after them. He, who begs in earneſt, Oh! he will Diligently obſerve, what Anſwer, what Return God makes: He will obſerve what word of Comfort God lets fall, what intimations God will afford to his ſpirit, and will be exceeding chary of them. As you ſee Benhadads ſervants did, 1 Kings 20.31, 32, 33. After they had put up their requeſts, the Text ſaith— The men did diligently obſerve, whether any thing would come from Ahab; and did hastily catch at it. So ſhould we do: Come with ſackcloath, put up our prayers with remorſe; and, when that is done, when we have prayed our prayers, let us wait our prayers, to ſee what intimations we ſhall receive from heaven. Thus David, Pſal. 85.8.—I will hear what God the Lord will ſpeak; for he will ſpeak Peace to his people, and to his Saints, &c. Pſal. 5.3— In the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee, and I will look up.

5. A Fift ſort, who dally with God, are they, who follow not their prayers with endeavors to get aſſurance, that their Sins are pardoned. Who ſearch not into the Covenant of Grace, acquaint not themſelves with the Promiſes of Grace; ſearch not into the Word of Grace, frequent not the Means of Grace: Theſe men dally, who frequent not the Word, Sacraments, &c. and ſuch like Means for the Aſſurance of Pardon.

A TREATISE OF THE Loves of Chriſt TO HIS SPOUSE.

BY SAMƲEL BOLTON, D. D. And MASTER of C. C. C.

LONDON: Printed by Robert Ibbitſon, for Thomas Parkhurſt, and are to be ſold at his Shop over againſt the Great Conduit in Cheapſide, 1656.