Inquiry for a Suitable Return for Continued Life In and After Time of Plague, Part 2 · Section 2
SECT. II.
THeſe things premiſed, I ſhall ſhew that oftentimes wicked men grow worſe and worſe; and therefore will appear that this adviſe is not unſeaſonable, after ſuch a thundring voice of judgement, as this Plague hath been.
This will be manifeſt
From Scripture,
By Arguments.
Scriptures ſhewing many wax worſe. Nemo repente ſit turpiſſimus, ſed ſenſim ſine ſenſu.Firſt, The Scriptures evidencing this, that men oftentimes grow worſe, and are more wicked, are ſuch as theſe, Pſal. 1.1. Bleſſed is the man that walketh not in the counſel of the ungodly, nor ſtandeth in the way of ſinners: nor ſitteth in the ſeat of the ſcornfull. In which Scripture there are nine words that ſet forth the progreſs of men in ſinning; and their comming up to the height of wickedneſs gradatim.
Pſal. 1. v. 1. opened.Three reſpect
Sinful Objects,
Counſel.
Way.
Seat.
Sinfull Actions,
Walk.
Stand.
Sit.
Sinfull Perſons,
Ʋngodly.
Sinners.
Scornfull.
And every third of theſe includes the ſecond, and the ſecond includes the firſt, non contra, every ſcorner is a ſinner, and every ſinner is ungodly, but every ungodly perſon is not a ſinner, i. e. foreign, emphatically, as the word is ſometimes uſed, Luk. 7.37. And behold a woman, in the City, that was a ſinner, i. e. a great and notorious ſinner, and every ſuch ſinner is not ſcornfull. Sitting includeth [ſtandeth] and doth ſuppoſe it, for a man muſt ſtand before he ſits in a wicked way; and ſtanding ſuppoſeth a man firſt to come into that way, or to that ſeat in which he ſits, but not contrary, a wicked man may walk in that way in which he doth not ſtand, and he might ſtand in that way in which he doth not ſit, and ſo of the reſt. Now here obſerve Davids climax or gradation, ſetting forth the progreſſe of wicked men in ſinning. Firſt they walk, then they ſtand, next they ſit. Firſt they are ungodly, then they are great ſinners, next they are ſcornfull: For the fuller opening of this Scripture to ſee mens growth in ſin, I will review them.
Firſt, The Objects, about which wicked men are converſant, which were noted to be three,
1. Counſel, aforeignTam id quod conſulitur, quam quod conſilio efficitur. Bith.Wicked men conſult how they may ſatisfy their luſts, they deliberate how they may get an opportunity to ſin. Thus the malicious man ſtudies revenge, and the Adulterer contrives ſecrecy, Pſal. 36.4. He deviſeth miſchief upon his bed, and the Devil is near his pillow to be his counſellour.
2. Way, bforeign Mos conſuetudo, ſtudium quae ſunt quaſi viae per quas incedunt, verſonturque. Bith.Manner of life is ſet out by way, in Scripture, mens practiſes are their way, a man that hath a good trade and thrives therein, we ſay, he is in a good way; and ſo the profeſſion, and ſerving of God in ſuch a manner is called a way, Act. 9.2. ſo that a wicked man maketh ſin his profeſſion and trade. Thus the common drunkard by his daily wickedneſs profeſſeth himſelf a drunkard, that is his way.
3. Seat, By frequent commiſſion they ſettle themſelves on their lees, then fixe their abode in the houſe of ſin, They lye down and like ſwine wallow in their iniquity, Pſal. 36.4. He deviſeth miſchief upon his bed, he ſetteth himſelf in a way that is not good: They firſt conſult, then act, then ſettle in their ſin.
Secondly, The Actions which were alſo three.
1. They walk, *foreign Ambulavit metaphoricè uſurpatur de vita, moribus & actionibus.they take delight in their ſin as a man doth in a pleaſant walk; and as the Devill (with whom they walk) in walking to and fro to tempt and devoure ſouls: a godly man might poſſibly ſtep into a ſinfull way, but a wicked man walketh therein.
2. They Stand, Next they become obdurate and ſhameleſs in ſin, they are not aſhamed of their oathes, and drunkenneſs, and open prophanations of the Sabbath; a godly man might fall into ſin, but he doth not ſtand in it; he doth not perſiſt in it, but wicked men will ſtand and juſtify themſelves in wickedneſs and plead for it.
3. They Sit, As men ſecure, will perſevere in evil; a man that ſits intends to ſtay, it being a geſture more remote from motion than ſtanding is.
Thirdly, The Perſons, and theſe likewiſe are three.
1. The Ʋngodly, a man that ſins and repents not is an Ungodly man, Septuagint, foreign.
2. Then they are Sinners, i. e. notoriouſly wicked as was before ſhewed; foreign *Nomen plurale abſque ſingulari, ex conjugatione Pihel deductum, idcoque ſignificationem intendit, ac Habitum denotat. …i…lmer, in Pſal.it ſignifieth habituall ſinners.
3. Then they are Scornfull, will be ſcorners of reproofs, and ſcorners of the way of holineſs, and then are come to ſuch height in ſin, that Solomon forbids to reprove them as men ſcarce reclaimed, Prov. 9.7, 8. foreign which the Septuagint tranſlate foreign, Peſts, Plagues. Tertullus the Oratour called the Apoſtle Paul, foreign a Peſt, a Plague, peſtilent fellow, Act. 24.5. but by the Septuagint, ſcornful ſinners are foreign, the peſts of a place. Thus from this Scripture you have the progreſs men make in ſin, accurately deſcribed by the Pſalmiſt.
Thus Cain waxed worſe and worſe, and did grow in ſin, Gen. 4.
1. He dealt hypocritically with God, verſ. 4. He brought to God of the fruit of the ground, but kept back his heart. (2) He envyed his brother Abel, and the grace of God that appeared in him, 1 Joh. 3.12. and he offered to God and perſecuted his brother to death, Gen. 4.8. (3) He lyeth before an all knowing God, ſpeaking falſly, verſ. 9. (4) He flies in the face of God, as if God had charged him with that which was not his duty. Am I my brothers keeper? (5) He deſpaireth of mercy, verſ. 13. My puniſhment is greater than I can bear, or, My ſin is greater than that it may be forgiven. (6) He flyes from God, verſ. 16. (7) He takes up with the pleaſures and profits of the world without God, verſ. 17. So Cain increaſed in wickedneſs.
So did Ahab, 1 King. 21.
1. He ſeeth Naboths Vineyard. (2) He doth covet it, and unlawfully deſire that which was another mans, verſ. 2. and would have bought that which Naboth had not a power to ſell, becauſe it was the Inheritance of his Fathers, verſ. 3. and Numb. 36.7. (3) He was diſcontent at Naboths anſwer, though he gave him the Word of God as the reaſon of his denyal ver. 4. (4) He doth unfaithfully report the words of Naboth, as is uſual with wicked men to doe, verſ. 6. He leaves out the reaſon of Naboths denyal, Becauſe it was the Inheritance of his Fathers, (5) He was guilty of Naboths death, ſuffering Jezebel to uſe his Seal to effect it, verſ. 8. And Elijah the Prophet chargeth Ahab with his death, as being guilty of his blood, verſ. 19. (6) He takes poſſeſſion of that which was none of his own, and which he got with the ſhedding of innocent blood, contrary to the command of God, Ezek. 46.18.
The like ſteps you might perceive in Jezebels ſin, and if you trace her, you will find her ſtep by ſtep to come up to an height of ſin.
1. She approves of Ahabs unlawfull deſire, verſ. 7. (2) She reſolves to get by violence what Ahab did ſinfully deſire, verſ. 7, 8. (3) She makes her husband guilty of blood by gaining his conſent to that which he would not act with his own hand, verſ. 8, 19 compared. (4) She draweth other men▪ and makes them partakers of her ſin; the Elders and Nobles, verſ. 8, 9. (5) She cauſeth two wicked men to take a falſe Oath againſt Naboth. (6) She ſuggeſteth the Charge that ſhould be brought againſt him, which was high and falſe, ver. 10. Let them ſwear that Naboth did blaſpheme God and the King; when indeed Naboth did neither. (7) She prophanes Gods Ordinance, ſhe proclaimed a Faſt; ſhe coloureth her wickedneſs with Religious pretenſes. (8) She obtains the murder of Naboth, verſ. 13. They ſtoned by Jezebels counſel an innocent man, to death. This was the growth and gradation of Jezebels wickedneſs, till it became monſtrous great.
So Judas encreaſed in wickedneſs, and grew worſe and worſe.
(1) He was an hypocrite. (2) A Theife, Joh. 12.4, 5, 6. (3) A traitour to his Lord. (4) He deſpaired of mercy. (5) He murdered himſelf.
The groweth of ſin is intimated in that expreſſion of the holy-Ghoſt, Gen. 15.16. The iniquity of the Amorites is not yet full. It was increaſing, but their meaſure was not full, ſin would increaſe In infinitum, but there is a meaſure that a ſwearer, or a drunkard, and all wicked men ſhall fill up, and then God will call them to an account, Mat. 23.32. Fill ye up then the meaſure of your Fathers. Thus from the word of God I have ſhewn that wicked men do grow in ſin, and wax oftentimes worſe and worſe.