Inquiry for a Suitable Return for Continued Life In and After Time of Plague, Part 2 · Section 6
SECT. VI.
What are the ſeveral ſteps and gradations whereby ſin growes from a low ebbe to its higheſt actings?Queſtion Second.
THere are ten ſteps to the higheſt actings of ſin, five of which are common to good and bad, the other five proper to the wicked and ungodly. Many Hypocrites may goe half way with the godly in that which is good, but never (while ſuch) goe quite thorow. So too often a man that is godly goes half way with the wicked in ſinning, but never goes quite thorow with them in all the circumſtances of ſin,10 rounds in the ſinners Ladder to hell. The rounds in the Sinners Ladder to hell are theſe ten:
1. Original Concupiſcence.
2. Temptation.
3. Inclination.
4. Conſent.
5. Action.
6. Cuſtome.
7. Habit.
8. Hardneſs contracted.
9. Hardneſs Judicial.
10. Conſummation or final Impenitence.
Of theſe briefly in their order.
I. Natural Concupiſcence.Natural Concupiſcence, or the Vitiouſneſs of our Nature, which is in Infants, this is as the Tinder or the Gun-powder whereby our Natures are apt to take fire at the leaſt ſpark. This is a ſin, becauſe it is the abſence or privation of that rectitude which ought to be in our Nature; it is a fruit and puniſhment of Adams firſt ſin, and an immediate conſequent of the loſs of our Original Righteouſneſs. This is fomes peccati: like to that wherewith the fire is kindled or kept burning: called the Old Man, ſinful Sin, the body of Sin, ſin dwelling, Law of Members.
II. Temptation.Then there is ſome Temptation, ſolicitation, ſuited to this corrupt Principle, either by the Devil or wicked men: or ſome Object preſented to a man that might ſtirre up and excite this internal principle of Corruption in our hearts, and though all men have the ſeeds of all ſin, yet Satan obſerving mens different conſtitutions hath different baits, (as men have ſeveral baits, for ſeveral fiſh) ſome he ſoliciteth to drunkenneſs, others to uncleanneſs, and others to covetouſneſs: Where note, that Satan hath a wonderful advantage of us, which he had not in our firſt Parents before the firſt ſin; for there was nothing in their hearts that was corrupt, and yet how did the Devils temptation together with the Object ſet before their eyes, prevail over them! What the warm Sun is to the ſtiff and frozen Serpent, it doth enliven it, and then it ſendeth forth its venom, and uſeth its ſting; that a Temptation, or an Object, propoſed is, to our corrupt Natures. Some call this Abſtraction, a drawing the minde off from good to evil.
III. Inclination.Then there ariſeth ſome Inclination in the ſoul, or an hankering of the heart after that ſinful Object; an entring into a patley with the Devil, minding of the motion made by the Tempter, thinking further of the committing of the ſin.…am 1.14. is inticed, foreign, the word ſignifi…th baiting, as men doe bait for fiſhes. This is called Ineſcation, (as the Fiſh delighteth to play with the bait) or Vitioſus motus, joyned with ſome titillation or delight of the heart therein. The firſt motions of the heart, that are primo primi, though they be involuntary, and before conſent of will, and the judgement againſt them, yet are ſins, (1) Becauſe they are motus foreign, diſorderly motions of the heart;Rom. 7.7.14, 15, 16, 17. (2) Becauſe they be forbidden by the Law of God, and (3) Hinder our love to God.
IV. Conſent.Next is the Compliance and conſent of the will, yielding to the temptation, and cloſing with the motion made concerning ſuch an act upon ſuch an Object. The Will as queen and commander in the ſoul, makes a decree to cloſe with the temptation, and to cloſe with and conſent unto the ſolicitation to ſin, upon the underſtandings miſtake in its comparative judgement, apprehending and dictating to the will that to be good which indeed is evil, or the ſenſitive appetite moving the will by the mediation of the underſtanding, allureth it unto conſent; and this is the conception of ſin, Jam. 1.14, 15. But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own luſt and entiſed, then when Luſt hath conceived, it bringeth forth ſin, &c.
V.Action. When the Will hath conſented it layes a deſpotical or flat Injunction on the Members of the body to execute and proceed to action, and this is the actual commiſſion of ſin in the execution, in Imperate acts. Thus when Judas had conſented to betray Chriſt, he goes forth and covenants with Chriſts crucifyers, and betrayes him. Thus the eye moveth to behold, and the hand to act that which the will conſenteth to and commands. Thus far it is the unhappineſs of the people of God in their ſtate of imperfection, to yield. David had a principle of corruption, then an Object propoſed, then wicked ſuggeſtions aroſe or were injected into his minde, then his will conſented, and then proceeded to the actual commiſſion of his after-bitterly-lamented ſin.
VI. Iteration.Then wicked men proceed to the frequent Iteration of the ſame ſin, till it becomes cuſtomary. A wicked man is drunk till it is his cuſtom to be ſo, and to ſwear till it becomes his cuſtom to do ſo. This is a great progreſs made in ſin, it is great growth, and ſuch will be hardly reclaimed. Jer. 13.23. Can the Aethiopian change his skin, or the Leopard his ſpots? then may you who are accuſtomed to do evil, learn to do well. Aethiopem lavare is to labour in vain. Miniſters endeavour to reclaim men accuſtomed to ſwearing, and lying, and drunkenneſs, and they preach in vain, and ſtudy and pray in vain, as to any ſucceſs uſually upon ſuch mens hearts. It is the commendation of a man to be accuſtomed to a thing, if it be good, for a Chriſtian to ſay, it is his cuſtom to pray; and a Miniſter, it is his cuſtom to preach; though it is not good, that the one pray out of cuſtom, nor the other preach cuſtomarily: To have it cuſtomary to perform holy dutyes is good, but to do them cuſtomarily is evil. Thus it was Chriſts cuſtom, or he was wont to preach and teach the people. But it is an aggravation to be accuſtomed to a thing if it be evil, and if it be groſs, it is a ſign of a graceleſs perſon: Though ſome carnal men when reproved for their often ſwearing, ſay, I thought no harm, it is only a cuſtom I have got, and I cannot leave it: A cuſtom! why that is the aggravation and growth of thy wickedneſs, and thou doſt as fooliſhly alledge that to extenuate thy ſin, which indeed doth aggravate thy ſin; as a Thief accuſed before the Judge for ſtealing ſhould plead, it was his cuſtom ſo to doe. Now ſin is become the profeſſion of the ſinner, and he goes to his ſin as cuſtomarily as an Artificer to his Shop or Work-houſe; but it is not the cuſtom of Gods people to make a cuſtom of committing groſs ſins. David did to the wounding of his ſoul once commit Adultery, but it was not his Cuſtome ſo to doe. Peter at one time did deny his Lord, but it was not his cuſtom ſo to do. It is not the cuſtom of a gracious perſon often to commit the ſame groſſe ſin, but it is his cuſtom often to lament a groſs ſin but once committed. Therefore if it be thy cuſtom to commit groſſe ſins, and thou art wont to do ſo, thou art gone beyond the people of God in thy ſinnings. Thy ſtate is deplorable.
VII.Habit. Cuſtomary commiſſion of ſin begets an Habit in ſinning; whereby the love of ſin is more deeply radicated in the heart. Habits are got by frequent repeated acts, and doth adde a greater facility to act; and ſuch as are cuſtomary ſinners will ſoon be habitual Sinners, by frequent ſwearing they will have an habit of ſwearing; by frequent drunkenneſs they will acquire an habit of that ſin, and what is habitual eſpecially in evil things, is not eaſily loſt.
VIII. Hardneſs contractedThen Habitual commiſſion of ſin begets contracted Hardneſs of heart, and fearleſneſs of all Gods Judgements and threatnings; and contracted hardneſs added to natural hardneſs, is a great progreſs in ſinning. *Peccata ſive ſint commiſſionis ſive omiſſionis per multiplicationem diuturnam, in conſuctudinem ducta & inveterata, pravum habitum gignunt, ac quaſi callum obducunt voluntati ſimu…c menti. Ames Med. p. 67.Thy Conſcience is ſeared, thy heart hard as the nether milſtone; paſt feeling. When Pharaoh hardened his heart, his ſinning was great, Exod. 8.15. Now thou ſtiffeneſt thy neck againſt all admonitions, Act. 7.51. and hardeneſt thy heart againſt reproofs, Prov. 29.1. Now thou acteſt as if thou wert above controul, and if thou couldſt, wouldeſt ſhake off the very Sovereignty of God. Exod 5.2. And Pharaoh (who was come up to the degree of hardneſs) ſaid, Who is the Lord, that I ſhould obey his voyce, to let Iſrael goe? I know not the Lord, neither will I let Iſrael goe. So hardened Sinners reply to Gods Miniſters exhorting them to let their ſins and luſts goe; ſaying (at leaſt in their hearts) Who is the Lord, whoſe Name you uſe? we know not the Lord, neither will we let our ſins goe, nor our pleaſures and profits goe. Now thou ſayeſt to the Lord, Depart from me, Job 21.14. My tongue is mine own, who is Lord over me? Pſal. 12.4. Now thou glorieſt in thy wickedneſs that is thy ſhame, Philip. 3.19. Thou rejoyceſt to doe evil, Prov. 2.14. and makeſt a mock of Sin, Prov. 14.9. and makeſt a ſport in doing miſchief, Prov. 10.23. Oh if thou couldeſt vapour it thus at the day of judgement, and make as light of torment as now thou doſt of ſin, if thou couldeſt brave it out thus before Chriſt at his comming, and Ruſſian like, bid defiance to an almighty God, and angry judge, thy caſe were not ſo miſerable, but thou canſt not, alas, thou canſt not doe it: Now thou art ſtout againſt the Lord, Mal. 3.13. But then thou ſhalt ſneake and crouch before him.
IX.Hardneſs judiciall. Then Judiciall Hardneſs is added to contracted Hardneſs, thou haſt hardned thine own heart, and God will harden it alſo. Now when Naturall, Contracted, and Judicial, all meet in one mans heart, how hard muſt it needs be, and how great a ſinner is this man in the ſight of God? you read ſometime, Pharaoh hardned his heart …mſelf, Exod. 8.15. and ſometimes that God hardned Pharaohs heart alſo, Exod. 10.20. So God giveth men up to their own hearts luſts which is a greater judgement, unſpeakably greater than all bodily Plagues. Read Rom. 1.21. to the end, Pſal. 81.11, 12. Rev. 22.11. Iſa. 6.9.10. Hoſ. 4.14, 17.
But here conceive of God aright, when the Scripture ſaith God hardneth mens heart, it is not to be underſtood, as if God were the author of their ſin no more than the Sun can be the efficient cauſe of darkneſs, for how ſhall the chiefeſt good be the authour of the greateſt evill.7 things about Gods hardning mens hea…ts. For
1. God doth not infuſe any wickedneſs into their hearts.
2. Nor doth God tempt them to ſin, James 1.13. he may try them, but not tempt them to ſin.
3. God commands no man to ſin, for Gods command would make it no ſin, as in the caſe of Abrahams Sacrificing his Son, or the Iſraelites taking the Jewels and Ear-rings of the Egyptians: except ſuch things as are intrinſecally evill, as are hating of God, and blaſpheming of God, and theſe things God cannot command, as he is ſaid that he cannot lye, Tit. 1.2.
4. God with greateſt ſeverity forbids mens ſins, he chargeth you upon pain of damnation, upon perill of Hell torments, that you ſin not, but commands men to repent, and mourne for ſin, therefore doth forbid them to be hard and ſtupid under ſin.
5. Neither doth God co-operate, or concurre to the wickedneſs of their actions, though without derogation to Gods honour we may ſay, he doth concurre to their wicked actions, For in him all live and move and have their beings, Act. 17.28.Deus concurrit ad actum non ad malitiam actûs. The action materially conſidered (as it is an action or motion) is good, and ſo God is the cauſe of it, but the action formally conſidered is evill, and ſo God is not the author of it, as when you ſpur a lame Horſe, you are the cauſe that the Horſe doth move, but you are not the cauſe of his halting.
6. But God doth permit and ſuffer men to harden themſelves, he doth not give them preventing grace, but denieth that (which he is not bound to give) which would keep off this Hardneſs from them. So God is ſaid to give men over to their own wicked hearts, to let them alone, and leave them to their luſts, Rom. 1.24, 26. and to give them over to a Reprobate mind, 2 Theſ. 2.10, 11. 12. But if ſome ſhould ſay, bare Divine permiſſion cannot be the reaſon why God ſhould be ſaid to harden mens hearts, no more than he would be ſaid to ſteal, becauſe he ſuffereth men ſo to doe. Some therefore adde,
7. That Hardneſs of heart may be conſidered either as a ſin, and ſo God is not the author of it, or as a puniſhment, and ſo it may be from *Excaecatio activa tribuitur Deo, Satanae & homini ſcipſum excaecanti; ſatanas & Homo in ista actione graviſſimè peccant, deus autem juſtiſſimè agit. Strangius, de volun. Dei circa peccatum. p 819. Modi notandi ſunt, quibus dicitur Deus indur…re. (1) Quia Deus juſte deſerit eos, a quibus deſertus eſt, ſuumque auxilium ſubtrabit aut denegat, privatque eos donis ſuis, quibus illi perverſe abuſi ſunt, idem. p. 824. (2) viam eis aperit, objecta & occaſiones ſubminiſtrans, quibus illi flagitia exequantur, ut in perniciem ſuam ruant. 826. (3) Offert, confert, aut facit ea quae ſua natura hominem ad bonum converterent, atque ad illustrandum, & emollieadum volerent, ſed abutentium vitio fit, ut magis obdurentur. p. 827. (4) flagella, flagellorum remotio, adverſa, impiorum indurationem promovent, iisque pulſati inſter ineudis ſub malleo magis indureſcunt. p. 828.God, as the ſame thing in divers reſpects might be a ſin, and a puniſhment of former ſin, and a cauſe of future ſinning, ſo the ſame thing in divers reſpects might be from God, and from the creature: as Abſaloms Rebellion againſt the King was an hainous ſin, as from him, yet it was alſo a puniſhment of Davids ſins, 2 Sam. 16.22. But the Scripture aſſerts two things however, (1) That with God dwels no evill, and he cannot be the cauſe of ſin, and yet (2) expreſſely ſaith, that the Lord hardned Pharaohs heart Exod. 10.20. Though we know not the manner, that doth not leſſen the dreadfullneſs of the judgement, but when God doth judicially harden, then men are almoſt ripe in ſin and for hell.
X. Finall impenitence.When God hath judicially hardned them, they let looſe the reignes of their luſts and now are fit for any wickedneſs, and ſtop not at the moſt abominable and loathſome practiſes. Now they can blaſpheme, and mock God, and deride holineſs, and act like incarnate Devils, when the people in Act. 14.8.11. ſaw the wonderfull works wrought by the Apoſtles; they ſaid, The gods are come down to us in the likeneſs of men, but when we ſee the moſt abominable, and ſordid practiſes of wicked men, might we not ſay, the devills are come up to us in the likeneſs of men? When men are judicially hardened they will commit ſins againſt nature, Rom. 1.24, 26. &c. And could wiſh there were no God; nay now they are (when they have given themſelves over to work wickedneſs, and God hath given them over too, when they ſay, we will be filthy, and God ſay, you ſhall be filthy) eager and greedy after ſin, they weary themſelves in committing iniquity, and yet are not weary of iniquity, and do even ſcorne at threatnings, and mock at judgements, 2 Pet. 3.3, 4. Men walking after their own luſts, ſay, where is the Promiſe of his coming, for ſince the fathers fell aſleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation. Iſ. 5.19. That ſay, let him make ſpeed, and haſten his work, that we may ſee it: and let the counſell of the holy one of Iſrael draw nigh, and come, that we may know it. Thus ſinning with judiciall hardneſs, and dying in finall impenitency, are at the bottom round, from whence they ſtep into endleſs miſery.
Thus you ſee how great a matter a little fire kindleth; and from how ſmall beginnings ſome have proceeded to the very pitch and height of ſin, that can ſcarce be worſe (ſave in the frequent iteration of the ſins, that they commit) for they have got into all kinds of ſin, they are guilty of ſpirituall wickedneſs, which the devill is, malice, enmity againſt God and goodneſs, &c. and of corporall wickedneſs, as Adultery, Drunkenneſs, Gluttony, &c. Which the Devill is not capable of committing, the Devill being only a ſpirit, but men conſiſt of body and ſpirit, and ſo may commit more ſins for kind, than the Devill himſelf can do. But God forbid that after ſuch a judgement, amongſt us ſhould be found ſuch ſinners, this will be an evil requitall to the Lord for his removing his ſore judgement from us.