The Sinners Last Sentence, Chapter 23
CHAP. XXIII. The danger of ſins of Omiſſion, in their deſtructiveneſs to man, and our proneneſs to over-look them.
3. THe danger of Sins of Omiſſion will appear by their deſtructiveneſs to men. The more wrong and injury any Sin doth us, the more danger is in it. Now what hath been already ſpoken, doth abundantly evince this. If Omiſſions are ſo great ſins, that they moſt directly croſs the mind of the Law, and make way for all Sins of Commiſſion, and exceedingly grieve the Spirit of God, they muſt needs be dangerous and deſtructive to men. If God himſelf blame them ſo ſharply, threaten them ſo ſeverely, and puniſh them ſo grievouſly, who are guilty of ſuch ſins; then theſe Sins muſt be very injurious to us. But it will further appear, if you conſider that they cauſe,
1. The Judgments of God on men, in regard of their Bodies, or external Comforts. He puniſheth many with extream penury, for not being diligent in their particular Callings. Their idleneſs (which is a ſin of Omiſsion) cloaths them with rags, Prov. 23.21. Again, The idle Soul ſhall ſuffer hunger, Prov. 19.15. How doth experience prove the truth of this. Many begin the World (as we ſay) with conſiderable Eſtates, who, in a few years, for lack of care and induſtry in their Imploys, have waſted all. The idle man may call the Prodigal Brother. Beſides, theſe Sins of Omiſsion are puniſhed with a temporal deſtruction. The Lord having ſaved the people out of the Land of Egypt, afterwards deſtroyed them that believed not, Jude, verſ. 5. Iſrael was God's own people, his peculiar treaſure, Exod. 19.5. a people nigh unto him, Pſal. 148. ult. incomparable for this, Deut. 4.7. and other Priviledges, Rom. 9.4. Yet when guitly of this Omiſsion, God would not ſpare them, but deſtroy'd them. No Priviledges can exempt from puniſhment. God may forſake his Tabernacle at Shiloth; deliver his ſtrength into captivity, and his glory into the enemies hand, if they will not believe him, if they will not obey him, Pſal. 78.60, 61.
2. A judicial tradition to ſpiritual Judgments. Of all Judgments, none in this World are ſo dreadful as thoſe that are ſpiritual; bodily Judgments touch the Fleſh, but theſe the Spirit. When God would ſpeak and wreak his anger againſt a perſon or people to the utmoſt; he doth it this way, by giving them up to their own wickedneſs. When he would ſtrike Ephraim under the fifth Rib, and kill him at a blow, it is by this Judgment. Ephraim is joyned to Idols, let him alone, Hoſ. 4.17. He is given to Idolatry, let him take his fill of it, and ſee what the end will be. He is fond of lyes and vanities, and delights in proſtituting himſelf to their embraces; Let him alone. Let none diſturb him, or recall him; let no Mercy, no Miſery, no Means, no Miniſtry ever hinder him in the proſecution of his Luſts, or ſtop him in his courſe, much leſs be effectual for his Repentance and Amendment. In temporal Judgments, God acts the part of a Father, to whip his Child, that he may reclaim him for his Errors, and be fit to inherit his Eſtate. But in ſpiritual, God acts the part of a Judge, to deliver the Malefactor over to Execution. In the former, he prunes the Tree, that it may bring forth fruit, and ſo continue in his Garden to his joy and delight; but in the latter, he leaves the Tree as unſound and barren, to be cut down for the fire. Now ſins of Omiſſion cauſe God to deliver men up to theſe Judgments. God calls upon Iſrael to hear and obey him, they will not. But my People would not hearken to my Voice, Iſrael would none of me. What was the reſult of their refuſal? So I gave them up to their own hearts luſts, and they walked in their own counſels, Pſal. 81.11, 12. God doth not teſtifie his anger for their contempt of him, by ſending Plague, or Flames, or wild Beaſts among them. He doth not ſay, Well, ſince they thus ſlight my Authority, I will be avenged on them to purpoſe, I will give them up to the Sword, or Famine, or racking Diſeaſes, or greedy devouring Lions, which would have been ſad and grievous; but he executes on them a far more ſad and grievous Judgment, when he ſaith, So I gave them up to their own hearts luſts, and they walked in their own counſels. God's leaving one Soul to one luſt, is far worſe than leaving him to all the Lions in the World. Alas, it will tear the Soul worſe than a Lion can do the Body, and rent it in pieces, when there is none to deliver it. God's giving them up to their own wills, that they walked in their own counſels, is in effect a giving them up to eternal wrath and woe.
3. The deſtructiveneſs of Sins of Omiſſion to the Souls of men appears, in that they render the Condition of men deſperate, and without remedy. Sins of Commiſſion wound the Soul dangerouſly, but ſins of Omiſſion make the ſtate of the Patient hopeleſs and deſperate. Sins of Commiſſion are directly againſt the Law, and ſo bind the Sinner over to its Curſe; but Sins of Omiſſion are directly againſt the Goſpel, and thereby hinder the Patients Cure, Gal. 3.20. Joh. 3. ult. He that hath broken the Precepts of the Law, is liable to its puniſhment; but yet this Sinner may flie to the Goſpel, as his City of Refuge, and lay hold on Chriſt there tendered for Pardon and Life. But by ſome ſins of Omiſſion, he rendereth the Goſpel ineffectual for his good, and himſelf uncapable of the good things promiſed in it. Faith and Repentance are the two Conditions upon which all the exceeding rich and precious Promiſes depend; ſo that by not believing, and not repenting, which are Sins of Omiſſion, men deny themſelves all the benefit and advantage of the Goſpel. He that believeth ſhall be ſaved, he that believeth not ſhall be damned, Mark 16.16. He upbraided the Cities wherein moſt of his mighty works were done, becauſe they repented not. Woe to thee Corazin, woe to thee Bethſaida, &c. Matth. 11.21, 22, 23. Sins of Commiſſion make the wound, and Sins of Omiſſion keep off that Plaiſter, which alone can heal it. Sins of Commiſſion plunge us into a bottomleſs gulph of Miſery, and Sins of Omiſſion ſtop the current of that Mercy that alone can relieve and ſuccour us. Theſe Sinners are like men in ſwoons, gaſping for breath, and ready to expire; yet ſhut their mouths, and faſten their teeth together, to keep out thoſe Cordials that alone can recall them to life.
4. The danger of Sins of Omiſſion will appear, by our proneneſs to ſlight and neglect them. If Sins of Omiſſion are of ſo deadly a nature, as moſt to contradict the Will of God, and ſo highly provoking to him, and ſo mortally deſtructive to us; then the more we ſlight this great Enemy, the more dangerous it is to us: A weak enemy, and an enemy that can do us little harm, may be ſlighted without great danger. But when an enemy is ſo powerful, ſo deadly, ſo damnable, our contempt of him is a great advantage to him, and a great diſadvantage to us; for by this means he falls upon us diſarmed and unprepared for him. Pompey ſlighted Caeſar, when News firſt came to Rome of his marching into Italy with his Army, and ſaid, That if did but ſtamp with his foot, he ſhould therewith fetch Souldiers enough out of all parts to ſubdue Caeſar. And ſo made ſmall preparation to reſiſt him, which was his own and the Commonwealths deſtruction. Truly, thus men are apt to ſlight ſins of Omiſſion, and thereby to undo themſelves. As it's ſaid of Joab, He ſpake kindly to Amaſa, and made as if he would kiſs him: But Amaſa took no heed to the Sword that was in Joabs hand: ſo he ſmote him therewith in the fifth rib, and ſhed out his bowels to the ground, that he died, 2 Sam. 20.9, 10. Thus ſin of Omiſsion is familiar with us, and pretends rather love and kindneſs, than any hurt to us (for in all ſin there is a deceitfulneſs) and we taking no heed to the Sword in its hand,Heb. 3.13. to its malignant killing-nature, but ſlighting it, as if it were venial, are deſtroy'd by it.
And there are three Reaſons why we are ſo apt to over-look ſins of Omiſſion:
1. Becauſe Conſcience doth not ſo ſoon cheek us for them, as for ſins of Commiſsion. If a man commit Murther, or Adultery, or Theft, his Conſcience is ready to flie in his face, and thunder in his ears, as it did with Cain, after the ſlaughter of his Brother, that he cried out, My puniſhment is greater than I can bear; and he went up and down trembling (as ſome think) all his days, Gen. 4.13, 14. But men may neglect Praying, or Reading, or Charity, eſpecially in regard of the manner of doing them, and Conſcience will take little notice of it. Such Omiſſions may paſs with little or no regard. Cain in the Offering he brought to God, neglected (probably) to bring the beſt of the fruit of the ground, however to offer it with an upright believing heart; but we read not that he took notice of theſe Omiſſions, though he did of God's manifeſt diſreſpecting his Offering, Gen. 4.3, 4, 5. It's ordinary with ſome moral men, if they fall into ill Company ſometime by accident, and are made drunk, to be aſhamed of it, and much troubled for it; but theſe men can live in their Families without Prayer and Scripture, and neglect to teach their Children and Servants the ways of God; and yet theſe Omiſſions do not at all diſturb them, they go up and down, and eat, and drink, and ſleep, as merrily as if they obeyed the whole Will of God. Job tells you of thoſe that bid God depart from them, that deſire not, nor endeavour to know him; that caſt off Prayer to him, and all his Service as fruitleſs; and yet theſe men, guilty of ſuch great and groſs Omiſſions, could take the Timbrel and Harp, and rejoyce at the ſound of the Organ, and ſpend their days in wealth and mirth, Job 21.12, 13, 14, 15. Theſe Negative Sins are ſtill and ſilent, and make none or little noiſe in the ears of Conſcience. But poſitive ſins are more clamorous. We read of thoſe that were guilty of Bribery and Oppreſſion under their guiſe and maſk of Religion; and how they are ſtab'd and frighted? A dreadful ſound is in their Ears, trouble and anguiſh make them afraid. They believe not that they ſhall come out of darkneſs, Job 15.21, 22, 24, compared with 34. & 35. verſes. How many do we know in places where we live, who if they ſhould rob or wrong their Neighbours, would hardly enjoy any peace or quietneſs in their Spirits, who can live chearfully and contentedly day after day, nay year after year, while all this while they rob God of that Love, and Fear, and Truſt which they ow him in their hearts, and of that open Homage and Allegiance which they ow him in their Houſes.
The reaſon hereof is, becauſe ſins of Commiſſion are moſt againſt natural light. In ſins of Omiſſion there is no ſuch actual diſturbance, by which the free contemplation of the mind is hindered, as in ſins of Commiſſion. Beſide foul acts of Sin, as Uncleanneſs and Murther, &c. bring more ſhame, and cauſe more horrour, than bare neglects of our Duty. Conſcience is not wont to take any great notice of external neglects, or of ſpiritual defects.
2. We are the more prone to overlook, and take no notice of ſins of Omiſſion; (as Conſcience is leſs troubled for them, ſo) our Chriſtian Friends are not ſo apt to warn and admoniſh us of them, as of ſins of Commiſſion. If a Profeſſor fall into ſome groſs ſin of Commiſsion; as if he be over-taken with intemperance, or lying, or going beyond his Neighbour: All the Town or Neighbourhood rings of it, his Chriſtian Friends hear and take notice of it, and out of love to his, and faithfulneſs to their own Souls, admoniſh him of it, and endeavour with the Spirit of meekneſs to bring him to repentance for it. But this Profeſſor may neglect prayer in his Cloſet, reading and meditating on the Word of God, examining his own heart; nay, poſſibly prayer in his Family, and the inſtruction of thoſe committed to his Charge in the Principles of Religion, and his Friends be wholly ignorant hereof, and ſo be all their days wanting to acquaint him with his ſin herein. When David had been guilty of ſeveral ſins of Commiſsion in the matter of Ʋriah, Nathan hears of it, (for it ſeems to be the Town-talk, in that it's ſaid, That he cauſed the Enemies of God to blaſpheme, verſ. 14. And I ſuppoſe Gods Narration of it to him was rather a Command, or Commiſſion, for the manner of his reprehenſion of David, than of certifying him of that he was ignorant before,) he goeth to him, and tells him thereof, and calls him to Repentance for them, 2 Sam. 12. 1, to 10. But though David in all this time (likely nine moneths, for the Child was born, verſ. 14.) had been guilty of many Omiſſions, in not confeſſing his ſin with ſorrow and ſhame, in not begging pardon with Faith and Hope, and in ſeveral other particulars; yet Nathan takes no notice thereof in his Speech to him, neither makes any mention of them.
3. We are the more prone to overlook ſins of Omiſſion, becauſe they are ſo near akin to Intermiſſions, which are lawful and neceſſary. Affirmative Precepts (as was ſaid before) do not bind ad ſemper; I am bound to pray in my Cloſet and Family every day, but I am not bound to pray in either all the day. God commands me to mind the nouriſhing and refreſhing my Body, and to follow my particular Calling, and as occaſion is to viſit the Fatherleſs and Afflicted; now becauſe theſe Intermiſſions, or Omiſsions, for a time are allowed and commanded, men are apt to turn them, or to fall from them, into total Omiſsions, and when they do ſo, to be little troubled for them. Becauſe men may be excuſed from ſolemn religious Duties three parts or more of the weekday, therefore they will neglect them altogether, and are inſenſible of their neglect. Commiſsions being never lawful, for the Negative Commands bind ad ſemper; therefore if men be guilty of them, they take the more notice of them, and lay them more to heart; but poſitive Precepts being ſometimes unſeaſonable, and binding but at ſometimes, (i. e. the Duties of them are to be performed but at ſome time) when inſtead of our intermiſſion there be an omiſsion, we are ready to wink at it, and regard it at moſt but as an Infirmity, which may require a pardon of courſe. If I may omit Prayer and Scripture ten hours of the day, ſaith the ſubtle wicked heart of man, why not eleven hours? and if eleven hours, what great hurt if it be omitted twelve hours? i. e. the whole day, and the Duty be not performed at all.