The Sinners Last Sentence, Chapter 46
CHAP. XLVI. A third excuſe for ſins of Omiſſion. It is but one ſin, with the anſwer to it.
3. A Third excuſe which men have for ſins of Omiſſion, is, It is but one Duty I omit, and I hope there is no ſuch great danger in that. Though I do not read the Word, yet I pray; though I examine not my own heart, yet I read Scripture, and mind prayer; It is true, I give not to the poor, but I am painful in my Calling, and provident … my Family, as God commandeth me. What hurt can there be, if ſome one ſecret Duty (the omiſſion of which cannot be ſcandalous) ſhould never be performed? Surely, God who knoweth our weak, infirm, nay, wicked and d…praved natures cannot exſpect univerſal Obedience to his poſitive or negative Commands. He underſtands that Perfection is impoſſible to the humane nature ſince the Fall; and therefore ſent his Son into the World, to take away the ſins of it.
To cure the diſtemper of the brain; for it's a kind of phrenſie which makes men argue after this rate; conſider,
1. That there is a vaſt difference between thy being guilty of many ſins, and allowing thy ſelf in one ſin. Grace may conſiſt with the being of many ſins in the ſame ſubject, but not with the liking of one ſin. As the love of money is the root of all evil, ſo is the love of Sin the root of all the evil that befals the Sinner. He who knew he could not hinder the inherency of many ſins, yet deſires and endeavours to prevent the regency of any one Sin, Pſal. 119.132. Order my ſteps by thy Word, and let not any iniquity have dominion over me. Oſerve, not any iniquity.
2. Conſider, that the Omiſſion of one Duty may ſend thee to Hell, as well as the Omiſſion of many Duties. One Knife, one Sword, one Bullet, one blow may kill a man as well as a thouſand. If thou alloweſt thy ſelf in one Omiſſion, thou art a Servant to this one Sin, (For his Servant thou art whom thou obeyeſt, Rom. 6.16.) and ſo the Devils Slave, (for he hath thee as faſt by this one Chain, as by many,) and conſequently an Enemy and Rebel againſt God, and accordingly ſhalt ſuffer eternally. Thy Soul, Friend, is the price of every ſin, and when thou alloweſt thy ſelf in any one, thou doſt implicitly, though not expreſly, bargain with the Devil thy Maſter, to ſell him thy Soul for the wages of unrighteouſneſs, 1 King. 21.20. One man in Law may keep poſſeſſion, and keep the right owner out of his Eſtate. One ſin may keep poſſeſſion for Satan, and hinder Jeſus Chriſt from his Right; I mean from ſitting on the Throne, and ſwaying the Scepter of thy Soul. Wallowing in one puddle defiles the Body, and tumbling in one piece of filthineſs defiles the Soul. One piece of ward-Land, though but a quarter of an Acre, makes a man liable to the King, and brings in his whole Eſtate, though he be worth thouſands per annum. Therefore, Friend, do not ſay, it is but one ſin, and I may be bold with it; but rather, it is Sin, and ſo mortal, and I may not allow it. As Chriſt gave himſelf to redeem thee from all iniquity, Titus 2.14. So do thou give thy ſelf to him in all manner of Duty. How ſeverely have ſome been puniſhed for one Sin. Moſes, for not ſanctifying the Name of God at one time. Eli, for omitting to reprehend his Children, according to their wickedneſs, which was one Sin. Aarons Sons, for not fetching their fire from the Altar (as ſome judge) were ſtruck dead, Levit. 10.1, 2. If the Righteous be recompenced on the Earth, much more the Tranſgreſſor and the Sinner. Take heed, if Saul's ſparing one Agag, loſt him his temporal, thy ſparing one Sin, loſe thee not the eternal Kingdom.
3. This one Sin will not go alone; thou mayſt hope when thou haſt opened the door for this one Sin to enter, that thou canſt preſently ſhut, and keep out its aſſociates, but it is impoſſible. Sins are ſociable, and ever go in company. Firſt, one evil Spirit takes poſſeſſion of the man, and then ſeven more worſe than himſelf. As there is a concatenation of Graces, where one goeth all the reſt follow, 2 Pet. 1.5, 6, 7, 8. ſo there is a concatenation of Sins, 2 Tim. 3.2, 3, 4, 5. They are ſo linkt one in another, that as in a Chain, the drawing of one link brings with that a ſecond, and that a third, and that a fourth, and all are drawn to the very end of the Chain. When Dalilah had enticed and prevailed with Sampſon, then come the Lords of the Philiſtines and bind him, and put out his eyes, and ſet him to grind at the Mill, and to make them ſport. When one ſin by its flatteries hath deceived and poſſeſſed thy Soul, then come others more potent and lordly to ſtrengthen Satans hold, and make way for others. Any one ſin allowed is a great-bellied Monſter, who hath a numerous brood in the Womb of it. It doth inſenſibly harden the heart, and ſtrongly diſpoſeth it for other Sins; as one wedge makes way for another. Who could have thought that David's idleneſs ſhould be accompanied with ſo great and curſed a crew.
He who neglects Morning-Prayer, is hereby diſpoſed to neglect God in his Calling, and to buy and ſell, and do all without his counſel. Conſider, Friend, if thou fall from the top of a Ladder but one round, it will be many to one if thou ſtop before thou comeſt to the bottom.
4. This one ſin allowed makes thee guilty of all ſins. By the breach of one Command thou diſowneſt the Authority by which all the Commands are enjoyned, James 2.10. For whoſoever ſhall keep the whole Law, and yet offend in one point, is guilty of all. It's true, he doth not break the whole formally; he may be no Thief, no Murderer, &c. But,
1. He breaks the whole Law interpretatively. He ſlights and deſpiſeth the Author of the whole Law. He cannot obey God in any Command, who endeavours not to obey him in every Command; the Apoſtle ſubjoyns this reaſon, for he that ſaid, Do not commit Adultery, ſaid alſo, Do not kill; ſo that if thou commit not Adultery, yet if thou killeſt, thou art a Tranſgreſſor of the Law.
2. He breaks the whole Law collectively, though not diſtributively. All the Commands are ten words, but one Law. The whole Law is one Copulative or Chain, break one link, you diſorder and mar all. The whole Body ſuffers by a wound given to any one part. The Commands are conſider'd all together, (not ſeverally) as they make one entire and perfect rule of righteouſneſs, from which whoſoever ſwerveth in regard of any part of it, muſt needs ſwerve from the whole.
3. He breaks the whole Law eventually, though not intentionally, in the conſequent of his Diſobedience to one Command. He is liable to the ſame Curſe with thoſe that break every Command. He is as truly out of favour with God, as if he had kept never a Command. Any one condition not obſerved, forfeits the whole Leaſe, be it never ſo large; and any one Command not obeyed, forfeits the benefits of the Goſpel, and ſubjects the Soul to eternal damnation.
4. He breaks the whole Law habitually, though not actually. The ſame wicked nature which carrieth him out to break one Command wilfully, would carry him out to break them all, if it were not reſtrained. This mans heart breaks every Command, though his hands be tied, and he is hindred from breaking many of the Commands.
5. He breaks the whole Law by the breach of any one, becauſe he ſins againſt love, and breaks that bond and knot which keeps and faſtens the whole Law together, Rom. 13.10. Qui uno peccavit omnium reus eſt, peccans contra charitatem, in qua omnia pendent, Aug. Epiſt. 29. He that breaks one Command is guilty of all, becauſe he ſins againſt Charity, on which all hang, ſaith Auſtin. Therefore upon the breach of one, viz. That of the Sabbath, God chargeth the Jews with the guilt of all, Exod. 16.18.
5. I anſwer, if it be but one ſin thou liveſt in, but one Duty thou liveſt in the omiſſion of, the more fooliſh art thou to loſe all for lack of doing one thing more. Though as the young man ſaid, thou haſt kept all the Commands from thy youth, yet if, as Chriſt ſaid to him, thou lackeſt one thing, truly, as with him, the lack of this one thing will be the loſs of all. And what a Fool is he who runs for a Crown, an incorruptible Crown, to run within one ſtep of the Goal, and then to make a ſtop, and thereby to loſe the prize? Is not he an unwiſe man, who layeth a large Foundation, raiſeth up ſtately Floors, is at great coſt in building an Houſe; yet for want of a little more charge about ſome material pillar of the Edifice, ſuffers it all to fall down?
Reader, Conſider it, the omiſſion of one Duty is the amiſſion of all thy Duties. If God loſe but one, thou loſeſt all. And art thou willing to loſe all thy labour, all thy days at the Labour-in-vain, and that for want of taking a little more pains, and doing one thing more for thy Soul and Salvation.
One flaw in a Diamond mars all its beauty and brightneſs. One blot in a writing may ſpoil the whole, and render it inſignificant. One poiſonful Herb renders all the good and wholſom Herbs in the pot unprofitable. Therefore do not ſay, It is but one, therefore I may omit it; but rather, it is but one Duty more to all my other Duties, and therefore I will not ſtick at it.