The Present Correction and Reproof of Sin, Title page – Dedication
THE PRESENT CORRECTION AND REPROOF of SIN, OR A Diſcourſe on 2 Jer. 19. vers. Thine own Iniquities shall correct thee, & thy Backſlideings shall reprove thee.
Hoc ſunt peccata Lapſis, quod grando Frugibus, quod turbidum ſydus Arboribus, quod Armentis peſtilens vaſtitas, quod Navigiis ſaeva Tempeſtas. Cyprian Serm. de Lapſis.
LONDON, Printed for J. Eaglesfield, at the Marigold, near Sarisburrycourt in Fleetſtreet. 1685.
TO His much Honoured Friend, Mr. * * *.
SIR,
I Have not adventur'd to diſpleas you by publishing your Name to the World; wherby you will eaſily apprehend, that I ſend you this Diſcourſe as to a Friend, for your impartial Opinion of it; rather than to a Patron for Protection: (the ſtale Complement of Epiſtles Dedicatory.) I deſigned it should have been accompanied with ſeveral other Diſcourſes, concerning the Evill of Sin, and its Agravations. Firſt, in relation to the B. Trinity; as it dishonours God, disparageth the Divine Nature, & beſpatters every Attribute & Perfection of the Godhead; & conſequently ſtrikes at the very being of a God. As it is a Rebellion againſt his Souveraingty; Enmity to his Holineſs; a Provocation to his Juſtice; a Contempt of his Wisdom; an ungratefull Affront to his infinite Goodneſs; challenging his Allmighty Power; giveing the Lye to his invariable Truth; ſlighting his Omniſcience; wearying his Patience; &c. as it oppoſeth his Glory, & contradicts his holy Will, & the great deſign of all his Revelations, Inſtitutions, & Providences. Secondly, with reſpect to us as it thwarts the end of our Creation, perverts our rational Faculties, and the very principles of our Nature: as it blurrs the Image of God upon our Souls; robs us of his Delight & Love; & renders us uncapable of any friendly Convers & Communion with him. As it deforms & defiles the Soul; inſlaves us to many foolish & hurtfull Luſts; as it gratifyes the Devil, & brings us under his power; as it infects others with its contagion; diſturbs Societies; is the great Make-bate of the world, and the fatal ſource of all he Miſchiefs and Calamities, under which the Creation groans, and Thirdly, In compariſon with all other Evills of Affliction and Punishment: wherby ſin will appear to be the moſt pernicious and intolerable Evill: eſpecially as the cauſe of the Eternal Ruine of Souls. Where I intended to conſider the certainty of that Everlaſting Deſtruction threatned in Holy Scripture to the finally Impenitent. A Doctrine which ſo many would feign perſuade themſelv's to doubt of. I cannot wonder at it, ſince Intreſt and Inclination are inſtead of Evidence in other caſes as well as this: men are loath to admit any ſuch Premiſes, whoſe Concluſion would ingage them to change their cours of Life: it is not therfore ſtrange if after haveing forfeited the Bleſſedneſs of Heaven, they endeavor to extinguish the flames of Hell. But being at preſent diverted from finishing what I began in that kind, I am deſired to let this be publisht alone. I have not beſpoke the Readers candor, as is uſual, by repreſenting in a Preface the ſeaſonableneſs & uſefullneſs of the Argument treated of; becauſe both are ſufficiently obvious.
There is hardly any man whoſe Experience & obſervation will not oblige him to acknowledg, that Sin doth very often correct & reprove the ſinner in this world. The Evidence is too ſadly notorious to be denyed, in the miſerable Catastrophe of Apoſtats, in the afflictive conſequences of great Transgreſsions, & in the ordinary fruits of Luſt & Folly, Lewdneſs, & Paſsion, Intemperance & unrighteouſneſs, & a disorderly Life. Nevertheleſs, thro the deceitfullneſs of Sin, & the ſubtility of the Tempter, the neglect of Conſideration, the powerfull Influence of bad Company, and ſometimes the Righteous Judgment of God, (ſuffering men to harden themſelv's in their wickedneſs) the far greater part will not receive Inſtruction by this voice of the Rod; but turn the deaf Ear to all the Calls of God; & will not be reclaim'd, by all the methods of his Grace, to bring them to Repentance.
SIR, by the following acount that is given of it, you will be furnisht with abundant matter of Thanksgiving to God: who partly by the early communications of his Grace, and the pious Care of thoſe who had the conduct of your younger years; & partly by the kindneſs of his Providence, in keeping you at a diſtance from Temptations; & by your own vigilance & prudent Caution in places & ſeaſons of Danger; hath preſerved you from thoſe Vices, which are thus attended with Temporal ſufferings. Such an Improvement of this Diſcours should be made by all thoſe happy Perſons, who cannot confirm this ſad Truth by their own Experience, ſave in very few & the leſs conſiderable Inſtances of it.
The beſt men may reap this Benefit by peruſing it: that the conſideration of the mighty Prevalence & Growth of wickedneſs, with the preſent bitter fruits of it, may promote their being crucifyed to this World, and willingneſs to quit it, aſſoon as God shall pleaſe: & ſo diſpoſe them to deſire & wait to be tranſlated to a better ſtate; where they shall neither Sin, nor feel the ſmart of Sin any more for ever; or be greiv'd & ſadned by the ſins or Sufferings of other men.
In this Life our corrupted Nature is not perfectly healed, but doth ever & anon caſt forth Mire & Dirt. Tho we are dyeing dayly unto Sin, & long for the funeral of the old man; t' is not quite Dead; neither will it intirely be ſo, till our own Diſſolution: on which acount the Deceitfullneſs & deſperate Wickedneſs of the heart diſcovers it ſelf in an hour of Temptation. So that ſome of thoſe, who were thought to be Eſtablisht & Confirmed Chriſtians, have dishonor'd the name of God by ſcandalous Backſlideings, diſcredited their profeſsion, falſifyed their moſt ſolemn vows and obligations, hardned the hearts of ſome, & weakned the hands of others, and shamefully diſparaged the Religion of our B. Saviour. Wherupon God teſtifves his displeaſure by inward and ſometimes outward Troubles: a terrifyed Conſcience writes bitter things againſt them; or God denies the aids of his Grace, after ſuch a forfeiture; and their minds are darkn'd, their hearts hardned by degrees, & they become careleſs and remiſs in the Matters of Religion, & continue in their ſecurity; till by a ſevere Providence, or a more than ordinary Grace, they are awaken'd to conſider their ways, and remember whence they have fallen, & Repent; & therby recover his loſt favor, & God reſtores the Joy of his Salvation.
But this, Sir, is our Encouragement, & ought to be argumentative to continued watchfullneſs, & the utmoſt endeavors to perſevere, that if we are faithfull to the Death, (which may be nearer then we are aware) we shall then enter into the glorious Liberty of the Sons of God, & Sin no more. We shall no more provoke him to Anger, by our Apoſtacy; or ſuffer his correcting Rebukes for our Backſlideings. We shall no more be expoſed to Temptation; or ſeduced by Satan, to defile our Conſciences, to deſtroy the Peace of our minds, & greive the H. Spirit of God. We shall no more ſtart aſide like a broken Bow, & violate our holy promiſes & Reſolutions. Ignorance shall no longer darken our minds, or unmortifyed Luſt lay lurking in the Heart, or the Body any more betray the ſoul by unruly paſsions to the Commiſsion of Folly. And as the bleſſed Conſequent of a ſinleſs ſtate, no ſorrow shall ever more be felt, and therfore no complaint ever more he heard. Oh that thes thoughts were more delightfull & more connatural to us! This should be the higheſt of our Wishes, and the object of our moſt deliberate & Reſolved Choice; to be made more pertakers of the Divine Life; & to glorifye God by a more perfect conformity to his holy Image. I moſt heartily be ſeech the great Sanctifyer & Lover of ſouls to effect it more & more on the my own heart & yours. And tho one Kingdom do not hold us, & I may never ſee your Face on Earth againe; yet before that glorious Everlaſting Kingdom we expect, (when by ſeeing God, we shall be changed into his likeneſs,) we may dayly meet at the Throne of Grace; & there I humbly beg you would be my Remembrancer, as I promiſe to be yours. I moſt affectionately kiſſe your hands, & remaine
SIR, Your moſt Obedient Humble Servant JOHN. SHOWER.