A Spiritual Antidote Against Sinful Contagion, Treatise 1 · Duty 19
DUTY XIX.
TO all this add speedy, real, and through Reformation. Speedy Reformation.Say to God, shew me wherein I have done amiss, and I will do so no more. If others will not reform, yet let us: We cannot reform others, we may our selves.
God speaks aloud unto us by his smarting judgment, that we should turn to him, wherein we have departed from him. If we will not yet turn to God, God will yet turn more into their Grave, yea, and into Hell. If you would have God turn away his wrath from us, we must think of turning from our sins against him. If we yet go on, he will punish us yet seven times more. Read Levit. 26. from the 14. to the end. If men would make a Personal Reformation, we should then have Family Reformation, and that would bring a more general. There is surely something amiss in all our Persons and Families: If we would repent and turn from our sins, God would soon repent him of the evil, by which so many every week are swept away. Oh it is our sin that hath kindled the fire of Gods displeasure, that burneth so hot to the destruction of so many thousands!
Weigh these Arguments for our turning, Three Arguments to turn to God.taken
First, From sinful ways in which we have walked; and consider
1. That the way of sin, it is the Broad way; Ten Arguments taken from the ways of Sin.the way that leads to death and to damnation, Matth. 7. 13.
2. The way of sin, it is a pernicious way; destructive to Mens Bodies, Souls, Estate, Peace of Conscience, Rom. 7. 27. 2 Pet. 2. 2.
3. The way of sin, it is a false way: Men look for Happiness, but sin is not the way thereto: You are out of your way to happiness, if you be in the way of sin, Psal. 119. 104.
4. The way of sin, it is a dark way: Whoso walketh therein, knoweth not whither he goeth, Prov. 4. 19. & 2. 13. 1 Joh. 2. 11.
5. The way of sin, it is a very hard way: It is a general mistake of the greatest part of the World, when Christ saith, his yoke is easie, Matth. 11. 30. to look upon the ways of God as difficult. It is difficult to corrupt nature, but easie to the renewed part; And the way of sin not to be hard, but God saith the contrary, Prov 13. 15. The way of transgressors is hard. It is the hardest bondage in the World to be a slave unto ones own lusts, to drudge in the Devils service.
6. The way of sin is a hateful way to God and good men. Rom. 15. 9. The way of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord; and is not God shewing his dislike to sinful ways?
7. The way of sin is a rough and unequal way, Ezek. 18. 25. Many rubs doth a sinner meet with from God, and his own Conscience
8. The way of sin is a crooked way, Psal. 125. 5. Prov. 2. 15. full of snares.
9. The way of sin is a very uncomfortable way. There may be Carnal mirth, but no true Spiritual joy in the way of sin.
10. The way of sin is a miry and defiling way. A man can never keep his conscience and conversation clean, that walks therein; and shall any of Gods people be found wandring in such ways as these? Oh let us turn back again into the ways of God; which is the second head of Arguments.
Secondly, The way we must turn into, i. e. The way of Holiness.
1. The way of Holiness, it is the best way. If Six Arguments from the ways of Holiness.you were to go a journey, you would enquire which is your best way. Your face is Heaven-ward; would you know your best way? It is the way of Holiness that leads you directly unto Heaven.
2. The way of Holiness, it is the nearest way to Happiness. If you go in the way of sin, you go about; you must back again,
3. The way of Holiness, it is the surest way: For therein you shall have Gods direction, you shall have Gods protection. You are safe, while you walk in this way. Satan shall not rob you of your Graces, nor so much of your comfort. Did you not too often go out of this way?
4. The way of Holiness, it is the pleasantest way, and most delightful: For you have Gods presence in this way, Prov. 3. 17.
5. The way of Holiness, it is the cleanest way, Psal. 119. 1. You shall have a clean conversation, clean heart and conscience in this way.
6. The way of Holiness, it is the oldest way. Holiness was before wickedness. Jere. 6. 16. Inquire for the good old way, and walk therein. There are some ways that are old, that are not good; but the oldest is the best. Oh what did we do when we forsook the ways of Holiness, to walk in paths of wickedness! Oh get into the holy path again.
Thirdly, The benefits of turning unto God, should move us thereunto,
1. God would then soon hear our Prayers, Four Arguments taken from the benefit of turning to God.and till then he will not, Psal 66. 18. If we did but know the Plague of our own hearts, and turn from it, the Plague would stay. See this 1 King. 8. from the 35 to the 40. But how shall it cease, if we still go on?
2. God would then soon forgive our sins; and if our guilt were removed, it would be better with us.
3. God would then heal us, as well as pardon us, Jere. 3. 12, 22.
4. God would then rejoyce over us, to do us good. Deut. 30 9, 10. Oh it would be better for us to turn to God, that he might spare us, then go on in sin, till he makes us an utter desolation. But let us do it
1. Penitently. With tears in our eyes, and How we must turn to God?sorrow in our hearts, Joel 2. 12.
2. Heartily. And not feignedly, Jere. 2. 10. Joel 2. 12.
3. Believingly.
4. Speedily. Without delay, least Death prevent our turning.
5. Willingly. Let it be matter of our choice.
6. Let us turn to God so, as never more to turn from him. Jere. 50. 4, 5. In those days, and in that time, saith the Lord, the Children of Israel shall come; they, and the Children of Judah together, going, and weeping: They shall go and seek the Lord their God. They shall ask the way to Zion with their faces thither-ward, saying, Come, and let us joyn our selves to the Lord, in a perpetual Covenant that shall not be forgotten.