Inquiry for a Suitable Return for Continued Life In and After Time of Plague, Part 2 · Section 3 – Section 5
SECT. III.
Secondly, ARguments drawn from Reaſon do evidence this, that wicked men are apt to grow in ſin; I will take up with three only, leaſt I be too large in this Direction. And they are taken,
Firſt, A natura peccati, From the Nature of ſin.
Arguments proving wicked men wax worſe.Secondly, Ab impulſu Diaboli, From the Inſtigation of the Divell.
Thirdly, Ab abſentia contrarii, From the abſence of that which ſhould keep them from ſinning more and more. Removetur prohibens.
I. From ſin.This appears from the Nature of ſin that is predominant in ungodly men, that ſwayes, and Byaſſeth them in all their actions, and ruleth in them and exerciſeth authority over them.
1. Sin diſpoſeth the heart to ſin.One ſin doth incline and diſpoſe the heart to ſin again: The firſt ſin inclined all men to commit more, where grace is predominant, the heart is inclined to love God, and to obey God, the generall ſcope of ſuch a mans life, and the bent and inclination of his heart is towards God and duty, to grow in grace, and become better and better. Now Contrariorum contraria eſt ratio & natura. Sin doth diſpoſe the heart to ſin, and to depart from God more and more, Heb. 3.12. It makes the bent of the heart to Backſlide further and further from God, Hoſ. 11.7. It makes the heart ſet to do evill, Eccleſ. 8.11. The heart of the ſons of men is fully ſet in them to do evil. As is the tide to the boate, ſo is ſin to mans heart.
2. Sin begets ſin.Sin is of a multiplying nature, as ſin committed inclineth the heart to the iteration of the ſame ſin, ſo one ſin begets another, of another kind, as drunkenneſs and gluttony, begets luſt: and malice, revenge; as one circle in the water multiplies to twenty, out of one root of a tree grow many armes, out of one arme, many branches, out of every branch many twigs. From the ſame fountain proceed many ſtreames, from the ſame body of the Sun, many Beames. So from one ſin are many multiplied. So Adams firſt ſin hath multiplied Innumerably.
3.Sin is linked to ſin. In wicked men there is a complication and a connexion of ſins, Sins thus multiplied are linked one to another; and are twiſted together, as there is a chaine of graces in a godly man, that if you draw one link you move the whole chaine; when you exerciſe Faith upon a promiſe, (ſuppoſe) of eternall Life, this ſets all his graces on exerciſe, as one wheele in a Watch moveth all the reſt: Faith applying this promiſe, ſtirreth up love to God that made the promiſe, and hath prepared the thing promiſed, it inflames holy deſires after it, & deſires put on to diligent indeavours to obtain it; it begets a lively hope, which earneſtly, yet patiently waiteth for the poſſeſſion of it. So there is a concatenation of ſin, therefore ſin is compared to a body, in which all the members by ſinewes and ligaments are knit together;Rom. 6.6. that though all the members do not grow, to an equall quantity, but ſome are bigger, ſome leſſe; yet all do proportionably grow; ſo though all ſins in a wicked man are not of the ſame magnitude, but in ſome drunkenneſs is greateſt, in ſome pride, in ſome covetouſneſs, yet all ſin is growing in them, and therefore muſt neceſſarily be worſe and worſe: as unbelief makes a ſinner fearleſs of Gods threatnings, and fearleſneſs makes him ſecure, and ſecurity hardneth his heart, and when his heart is hard, and his Conſcience ſeared, he will be very bad.
4. Sin infects the ſinner.Sin is of an infectious nature, an infectious diſeaſe doth not only ſpread unto others, as one man ſick of the Plague may infect a whole Pariſh, but getteth nearer and nearer to his heart, and ſeizeth upon his very vitals, that he waxeth ſicker and ſicker, and at laſt brings him to his grave: So one ſin doth not only infect others, as one drunkard inticeth another to the ſame ſin, but ſin encroacheth more into the ſinners heart and affections, and brings him more and more into bondage to it, and ſo makes him worſe and worſe, as a man that was wont to take a cup too much, at length is brought to frequent drunkenneſs, till at laſt it brings him to Hell and to damnation irrecoverably, where he is as bad as he can be.
5. Sin is unſatiable.Sin is of a craving and unſatiable nature, therefore thoſe that would ſatisfie their Luſts, muſt needs in length of time be very bad. There are four things which are never ſatisfied, and never ſay, It is enough, Prov. 30.15, 16. and ſin may make a fifth: For though a man drudge under ſin all his dayes, yet it thinks the Sinner hath not done enough for it. The Horſe-leech hath two daughters, crying, Give, give: ſuch a thing is ſin, that never leaves ſucking the heart-blood of the Sinner, till it hath ſucked him to death. Sin cannot ceaſe to ask, and ſinners know not how to deny; and they muſt be wicked indeed, that will be as wicked as ſin can make them.
I might run through the ſeveral kinds of ſin, and ſhew how they are never ſatisfied: The Egyptians thought that the Iſraelites never made brick enough: and ſin thinks the ſinner never is enſlaved enough, that he never doth obey enough; but I will briefly inſtance but in three.
Firſt, Covetouſneſs is unſatiable: it never ſaith, It is enough: It is not ſatisfied with having, nor in ſeeing what it hath, Eccleſ. 4.8. and 5.10. and therefore puts the Worldling to go drudge again. Creſcit amor nummi, &c.
Secondly, Revenge is unſatiable. Malice never thinks it hath done enough, and therefore puts on the malicious to conſult, to contrive, and never to be at reſt till he hath been more injurious to the perſon that is the object of his malice.
Thirdly, Luſt and uncleanneſs is unſatiable, and therefore ſuch as are addicted to it, and would have it ſatisfied, muſt be very wicked,Oculi ſunt in amore duces. for they never do it. 2 Pet. 2.14 foreign, having eyes full of the Adultereſs, the very looks of their eye betrayes the luſt of their heart; and it follows, And cannot ceaſe from ſin, foreign.therefore will proceed to great Impiety.
SECT. IV.
II. Satan.THat wicked men will grow in ſin, appears from the inſtigation of the Devil, who is unweariedly diligent to tempt unto ſin, and to adde one iniquity unto another: and that becauſe he rules in their hearts, and takes them captive at his pleaſure, 2 Tim. 2.26. A man will be very wicked, that will ſin as often as the Devil tempts. A man is never ſo bad, but the Devil would have him to be worſe; Judas was an hypocrite before, but yet Satan put it into his heart to be more vile, in betraying Chriſt, Joh. 13.2. Satan tempting without, and ſin inclining within, Satan never ceaſing to tempt, and Sinners not knowing how to reſiſt, will be growing (like the Crocodile from an Egge) to a ſtupendous magnitude.
SECT. V.
Abſence of Grace.III. THat wicked men will grow in ſin, appears from the abſence of that which ſhould reſtrain them. If a man hath drunk in poyſon, and hath no Alexipharmacum, or Antidote, his ſickneſs will grow upon him. Wicked men want that which ſhould preſerve them from ſin; as
1. The Fear of God: This is that which cauſeth a man to ſhun evil. Job 1.1. Job was a man fearing God, and eſchewing evil. Prov. 8.13. The fear of the Lord is to hate evil. But where the fear of the Lord is not, there the floodgates are pulled up: If the Devil tempt a man that feareth not God to ſport on the Lords day, he will do it; to omit Prayer, he will doe it; yea, if there were no Devil to tempt him, he would run on in ſin. This is brought in as the cauſe of crying ſins, Rom. 3.12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18. Many ſins there are enumerated, and at the cloſe of all is, There is no fear of God before their eyes. Abraham dared not to truſt himſelf with a people that did not fear God, Gen. 20.11. Abraham ſaid, Becauſe I thought, ſurely the fear of God is not in this place, and they will ſlay me for my Wives ſake.
2. Wicked men want ſerious Conſideration, that ſhould keep them from being worſe; they do not ſeriouſly conſider of Death and Judgement, of the Wrath of God, of the Torments of Hell; nor of Gods Omniſcience, that he alwayes ſees them. Hoſ. 7.2. They conſider not in their hearts, that I remember all their wickedneſs, now their own doings have beſet them about, they are before my face: Nor of his Omnipreſence, that he is alwayes with them and by them; they conſider not, If I ſin, I ſhall loſe my ſoul, and it will coſt me bitter tears or bitter torments: They do not weigh in their ſerious thoughts, the greatneſs of their danger, the heavineſs of Gods wrath, nor the eternity of the miſeries of another world. God complains of the want of Conſideration as the great cauſe of the height of ſin, Iſa. 1.2, 3, 4.
3. Wicked men want a firm aſſent to the verity of Gods Word, that they doe not verily believe the truth of Gods threatnings; but they have a ſecret hope that it ſhall goe well with them, whatever they doe, and whatever God ſaith. They hear of the evil of ſin, and of the torments of Hell, but they feel nothing for the preſent, and fear nothing for the future, and therefore goe on to adde drunkenneſs to thirſt, Deut. 29.19, 20, 21. And it come to paſſe when he heareth the words of this curſe, that he bleſs himſelf in his heart, ſaying I ſhall have peace, though I walk in the imagination of mine heart, to adde drunkenneſs to thirſt. Verſ. 20. The Lord will not ſpare him, but then the anger of the Lord, and his Jealouſie ſhall ſmoak againſt that man, and all the Curſes that are written in this book ſhall lie upon him, and the Lord ſhall blot out his Name from under Heaven.
4. Wicked men want a lively tender Conſcience, which ſhould warn them that they ſin not, and accuſe them, and threaten them with damnation, if they doe. Many have cauterized Conſciences, 1 Tim. 4.2. Where Conſcience is dead, or ſleepy, or feared, there iniquity will abound.