Sermons and Discourses Volume 8, Sermon 4
SERMON IV.Serm. 4. Preach'd on Aſh-Wedneſday, 1689. The unprofitableneſs of Sin in this Life, an Argument for Repentance.
JOB XXXIII.27, 28.
He looketh upon men, and if any ſay, I have ſinned, and perverted that which was right, and it profited me not; He will deliver his ſoul from going into the pit, and his life ſhall ſee the light.
THE great Folly and Perverſeneſs of humane Nature is in nothing more apparent, than in this, that when in all other things Men are generally led and governed by their Intereſts,Vol. 8. and can hardly be impoſed upon by any Art, or perſwaded by any Solicitation, to act plainly contrary to it; yet in matter of their Sin and Duty, that is, in that which of all other is of greateſt concernment to them, they have little or no regard to it; but are ſo blinded and bewitched with the deceitfulneſs of ſin, as not to conſider the infinite Danger and Diſadvantage of it; and at the ſame time, to caſt the Commandments of God, and the conſideration of their own Happineſs behind their backs.
And of this every Sinner, when he comes to himſelf, and conſiders what he hath done, is abundantly convinced; as appears by the Confeſſion and Acknowledgment, which is here in the Text put into the Mouth of a true Penitent; I have ſinned, and perverted that which is right, and it profited me not, &c.
In which Words here is a great Bleſſing and Benefit promiſed on God's part, and the Condition required on our part.
Firſt, The Bleſſing or Benefit promiſed on God's part, which is Deliverance from the ill Conſequences and Puniſhment of Sin; he will deliver his ſoul from going into the pit, and his life ſhall ſee the light, that is, he will deliver him from Death and Damnation. And tho' perhaps temporal Death be here immediately intended, yet that is a Type of our Deliverance from eternal Death; which is expreſly promiſed in the Goſpel.
Secondly, Here is the Condition required on our part; If any ſay, I have ſinned, and perverted that which was right, and it profited me not. In which Words there are contained,
I. A penitent Confeſſion of our Sins to God; for he looketh upon men, and if any ſay, I have ſinned, that is, make a penitent Confeſſion of his Sin to God.
II. A true Contrition for our Sin, not only for fear of the pernicious Conſequences of Sin, and the Puniſhment that will follow it, implyed in theſe Words, and it profited me not, this is but a very imperfect Contrition: but from a juſt ſenſe of the evil nature of Sin, and the Fault and Offence of it againſt God, that we have done contrary to Right and our Duty. If any ſay, I have ſinned, and perverted that which was right. Here you ſee that true and perfect Contrition for our Sins, is made a neceſſary Condition of the Bleſſing and Benefit here promiſed, viz. Deliverance from the Puniſhment due to them.
III. Here is a deſcription of the evil nature of Sin, it is a perverting of that which is right. Sin is a perverting of the Conſtitution and Appointment of God, and of the Nature and Order of Things. God hath given Man a Law and Rule to walk by, but the fooliſhneſs of man perverteth his way. The great Lines of our Duty are plain and viſible to all Men, and if we would attend to the direction of our own Minds, concerning Good and Evil, every Man would be a law to himſelf. He hath ſhewed thee, O man, what is good. That which is right and juſt and good, is plain and obvious, and offers it ſelf firſt to us, and when ever we ſin, we go out of the right way that lies plain before us, and turn aſide into crooked paths. But when we do that which is right, we act agreeably to the Deſign and Frame of our Beings, and comply with the true Nature and Order of Things; we do what becomes us, and are what we ought to be: but ſin perverts the Nature of Things, and puts them out of courſe, I have ſinned and perverted that which was right.
IV. You have here an acknowledgment of the Miſchievous and Pernicious Conſequences of Sin; I have ſinned and perverted that which was right, and it profited me not. Which laſt words are a foreign, in which much leſs is ſaid than is meant and intended; it profited me not, that is, it was ſo far from being of advantage, that the Effects and Conſequences of it were very Pernicious and Deſtructive.
And this is not only true as to the final iſſue, and event of an Evil courſe in the other World; but I ſhall endeavour to ſhew, that even in reſpect of this World, and the preſent Life, the Practice of ſome ſins is plainly Miſchievous to the temporal Intereſts of men; that others are wholly unprofitable; and that thoſe which pretend to bring ſome benefit and advantage will, when all accounts are caſt up, and all circumſtances duly weighed and conſidered, be found to do far otherwiſe.
Firſt, I ſhall ſhew, that the Practice of ſome Vices is Evidently Miſchievous and Prejudicial to us, as to this World; as all thoſe Vices which fall under the cognizance of Human Laws, and are puniſhed by them; Murther, Theft, Perjury, Sedition, Rebellion and the like; theſe cannot be denyed to be of pernicious conſequence to men, and therefore the great Patrons of Vice ſeldom plead for theſe, the inconvenience of them is ſo palpable, that ſome feel it, and all may ſee it every day.
But beſides theſe, there are many other ſorts of ſin, which human Laws either take no notice of, or do not ſo ſeverely Puniſh, which yet in their Natural Conſequences, are very pernicious to our preſent intereſt; either they are a diſturbance to our minds, or dangerous to our health, or ruinous to our Eſtate, or hurtful to our Reputation, or it may be at once prejudicial to us, in all, or moſt of theſe reſpects; and theſe are the greateſt temporal inconveniences that men are liable to.
All irregular Paſſions, as Wrath, Malice, Envy, Impatience and Revenge, are not only a diſturbance to our ſelves, but they naturally draw upon us hatred and contempt from others. Any one of theſe paſſions is enough to render a Man uneaſie to himſelf, and to make his Converſation diſguſtful and troubleſome to all that are about him; for all men naturally hate all thoſe, who are of an envious, or malicious, or revengeful temper, and are apt to riſe up and ſtand upon their guard againſt them. Anger and impatience are great deformities of the mind, and make a Man look as ugly, as if he had a wry and diſtorted Countenance; and theſe paſſions are apt to breed in others a ſecret contempt of us, and to bring our prudence into queſtion, becauſe they are ſigns of a weak and impotent mind, that either hath loſt, or never had the Government of it ſelf.
There are other Vices, which are plainly pernicious to our health, and do naturally bring Pains and Diſeaſes upon men; ſuch are Intemperance and Luſt; and tho' ſome may pretend to govern themſelves, in the Practice of theſe, with ſo much moderation and diſcretion, as to prevent the notorious bad conſequences of them, yet there are very few or none that do ſo; this is ſeldom more than a Speculation, and men that allow themſelves in any lewd or intemperate courſe, will find it very hard to govern themſelves in it; for after men have forfeited their innocence, and broke in upon their natural Modeſty, they are apt by degrees to grow profligate and deſperate; if a Man gives way but a little to his own vicious inclinations, they will ſoon get head of him, and no Man knows how far they will hurry him at laſt.
Beſides that the Vices I am ſpeaking of, Intemperance and Luſt, have other great inconveniences attending them, they expoſe men more frequently, than moſt other Vices, to occaſions of quarrel, in which men often loſe their own lives, or take away other mens, by which they fall under the danger of the Law, and the ſtroke of publick Juſtice; or if they eſcape that, (as too often they do) they cannot fly from their own Conſciences, which do commonly fill them with the horror and torment of ſuch an action all their days; ſo pernicious are the uſual Conſequences of theſe Vices, of which we ſee ſad inſtances every day.
Nor are theſe Vices leſs hurtful to mens Eſtates; for they are extreamly expenſive and waſteful, and uſually make men careleſs of all their buſineſs and concernments, liable to be cheated by thoſe, whom they are forced to truſt with their affairs, becauſe they will not mind them themſelves, and to be abuſed by crafty men, who watch the oportunities of their folly and weakneſs, to draw them into fooliſh bargains. It is an old Obſervation, that more men periſh by Intemperance, than by the Sword; and I believe it is as true, that more Eſtates ſtates are diſſipated and waſted by theſe two riotous Vices, than by all other Accidents whatſoever.
And there is ſcarce any notorious Vice, by which men do not greatly ſuffer in their Reputation and good Name, even when the times are worſt and moſt degenerate; any wicked courſe, whether of debauchery or injuſtice, is a blemiſh to a Man's credit, not only in the eſteem of the Sober and Virtuous, but even of thoſe who are looſe and extravagant; for men are ſooner brought to Practiſe what is bad, than to approve of it, and do generally think all ſin and wickedneſs to be a ſtain upon them, whatever in a ſwaggering humor they may ſay to the contrary. A clear evidence of this is, that men do ſo ſtudiouſly endeavour to conceal their Vices, and are ſo careful that as few as may be ſhould be conſcious to them, and are ſo confounded if they be diſcovered, and ſo out of all patience when they are upbraided with them, a plain acknowledgment, that theſe things are ſhameful in themſelves, and whatever face men may put upon things, that they do inwardly and at the bottom of their Hearts believe, that theſe Practices are deſervedly of bad Reputation, and do, in the general opinion of Mankind, leave a blot upon them.
Secondly, There are other ſins, which tho' they are not uſually attended with Conſequences ſo palpably miſchievous, yet are plainly unprofitable, and bring no manner of advantage to men.
Of this ſort is all kind of Prophaneneſs, and cuſtomary Swearing in common Converſation, there is neither profit nor pleaſure in them. What doth the Profane Man get by his contempt of Religion? He is neither more reſpected, nor better truſted for this quality; but on the contrary, it is many times really to his prejudice, and brings a great odium upon him, not only from thoſe who ſincerely love Religion, but from others alſo; tho' they are conſcious to themſelves, that they do not love Religion as they ought, yet they have a Veneration for it, and cannot endure that any one ſhould ſpeak ſlightly of it.
And 'tis as hard to imagine, where the pleaſure of Profaneneſs lies. Men cannot but at firſt have a great reluctancy in their minds againſt it, and muſt offer conſiderable violence to themſelves, to bring themſelves to it; and when it is grown more familiar, and their Conſciences are become more ſear'd and inſenſible, yet whenever they are alone and ſerious, or when any affliction or calamity is upon them, they are full of fears and anguiſh, their guilt ſtares them in the face, and their Conſciences are raging and furious.
And as all kind of Profaneneſs is unprofitable, ſo more eſpecially cuſtomary ſwearing in ordinary Converſation, upon every occaſion of paſſion, or any other trivial cauſe, nay it may be without cauſe, out of mere habit and cuſtom. Now what can poſſibly be imagined to be the profit or pleaſure of this Vice! Senſual pleaſure in it there can be none, becauſe it is not founded in the temper of the Body; a Man may be naturally prone to Anger or Luſt; but no Man I think is born with a ſwearing Conſtitution.
And there is as little Profit as Pleaſure in it; for the common and trivial uſe of Oaths makes them perfectly inſignificant to their end, and is ſo far from giving credit to a Man's word, that it rather weakens the Reputation of it.
Thirdly, Thoſe Vices which pretend to be of Advantage to us, when all accounts are caſt up, and all Circumſtances duly conſider'd, will be found to be quite otherwiſe. Some Vices pretend to bring in profit; others to yield pleaſure, but upon a thorow examination of the matter, theſe pretences will vaniſh and come to nothing.
The Vices which pretend to be moſt profitable are Covetouſneſs and Oppreſſion, Fraud and Falſhood, and Perfidiouſneſs: but if we look well into them, we ſhall find, that either they do not bring the Advantages they pretended to bring; or that the inconveniences which attend them are as great or greater, than the Advantages they bring; or elſe that the Practice of the oppoſite Virtues would be of much greater Advantage to us.
1. Some of theſe Vices do not bring the Advantages they pretend to do. Covetouſneſs may increaſe a Man's Eſtate, but it adds nothing to his Happineſs and Contentment; for tho' his Eſtate grow never ſo much, his want is ſtill as great as it was before, and his care and trouble continually greater; ſo that ſo long as he continues Covetous, the more Rich, the leſs Happy.
And then for Fraud and Falſhood; they are not of that real and laſting Advantage, that cunning but ſhortſighted men are apt to imagine. Nothing is truer than that of Solomon, The lying tongue is but for a moment. A Man can Practice the Arts of Falſhood and Deceit but for a little while, before they will be diſcovered, and when they are diſcovered, they are ſo far from being any Advantage to him, that they turn to his prejudice, and the cunning Man begins to be in a bad caſe, and he that was wont to overreach others, is at laſt caught himſelf.
2. Several of theſe Vices are attended with inconveniences, as great or greater than the Advantages they bring. If a Man increaſe his Eſtate by Injuſtice and Oppreſſion, yet he loſeth his Reputation. Beſides, that all fraudulent and unjuſt courſes are apt to entangle a Man in a great many inconveniences, and to expoſe him to troubleſome ſuits, for the keeping of what he hath unjuſtly gotten; it is very often ſeen, that what is gotten by injuſtice is ſpent in Law, and tho' it may be thoſe whom he hath wronged never recover their right, yet firſt or laſt the unjuſt Man is put to more trouble and vexation about it, than the thing is worth. This Solomon obſerves, Prov. 15.16. In the revenue of the wicked there is trouble.
The perfidious Man by betraying a Friend or a Truſt, may perhaps make ſome preſent Advantage: but then by ſuch a villany he makes himſelf odious to all Mankind, and by this means, at one time or other, prevents himſelf of greater advantages which he might have had another way, and perhaps at laſt is miſerably cruſhed by thoſe whom he betrayed, who in the change and revolution of human affairs, may ſome time or other have the oportunity of being revenged. Or elſe,
3. The Practice of the oppoſite Virtues would be of far greater Advantage to us.
Truth and Fidelity are in common experience ſound to be a better and ſurer way of thriving, and more like to laſt and hold out, than Fraud and Falſhood; and as honeſty is a ſurer way of raiſing an Eſtate, ſo it brings along with it greater ſecurity of the quiet enjoyment of it; there is never any real occaſion, and ſeldom any colour and pretence of bringing ſuch a Man into trouble; for which reaſon Solomon ſays, Better is the little which the righteous Man hath, than great poſſeſſions without right; becauſe, tho' it be but little, yet it will wear like Steel, and he is like to enjoy it quietly, and may increaſe it; whereas the unjuſt Man is continually in danger of loſing what he hath gotten.
And if this be the caſe, it is very plain, that thoſe Vices which pretend to bring the greateſt Advantage, are really unprofitable; and to theſe kind of Vices the Text ſeems to point more particularly, If any ſay I have ſinned, and perverted that which was right, and it profited me not, &c.
But perhaps tho' there be no profit in any ſinful courſe, yet there may be ſome pleaſure; that comes next to be examined; and I doubt not to make it evident, that there is no ſuch pleaſure in ſin, as can make it a reaſonable Temptation to any Man to venture upon it. The Vices which pretend to bring the greateſt pleaſure, are Lewdneſs, and Intemperance, and Revenge.
The two firſt of theſe are the higheſt Pretenders to Pleaſure: but God knows, and the ſinner himſelf knows, how thin and tranſitory this pleaſure is, how much trouble attends it, and how many ſighs and groans follow it; and whatever pleaſure they may miniſter to the ſenſe, they bring a great deal of anguiſh and perplexity to the mind; ſo that the trouble which they cauſe, does more than counter-vail the pleaſure which they bring: and they do not only diſturb the mind, but they diſeaſe the Body. How many are there, who for the gratifying of an inordinate Luſt, and for the incomprehenſible pleaſure of a drunken fit, have endured the violent burnings of a Feaver, or elſe have conſumed the remainder of their days in languiſhing ſickneſs and pain?
And the reaſon of all this is plain, becauſe all the pleaſures of ſin are violent, and forced, and unnatural, and therefore not like to continue; they are founded in ſome Diſeaſe and Diſtemper of our minds, and therefore always end in pain and ſmart.
And as for Revenge; it is indeed a very eager and impatient deſire: but ſo far ſurely from being a pleaſure, that the very thoughts of it are extreamly troubleſome, and raiſe as great ſtorms in the mind of a Man, as any paſſion whatſoever; and I never heard of the pleaſure of being in a Storm: it is pleaſant indeed to be out of it, when others are in it. And when Revenge hath ſatisfied it ſelf, and laid its enemy bleeding at its foot, the Man that executed it commonly repents himſelf the next moment, and would give all the World to undo what he hath done; ſo that if there be any pleaſure in Revenge, it is ſo flitting and of ſo ſhort a continuance, that we know not where to fix it; for there is nothing but tumult and rage before the execution of it, and after it nothing but remorſe and horror; ſo that if it be a pleaſure, it is but of one moment's continuance, and laſts no longer than the act is a doing; and what Man in his wits would purchaſe ſo ſhort a pleaſure at ſo dear a price? This is moſt certainly true, and if it were well conſidered, ſufficient to convince any reaſonable Man of the unreaſonableneſs of this paſſion.
Cain is a fearful inſtance of this kind, who after he had drawn his Brother into the Field, and ſlain him there, how was he tormented with the guilt of what he had done, and forced to cry out, my puniſhment is greater than I can bear, or (as ſome Tranſlations render the words,) mine iniquity is greater than that it can be forgiven, Gen. 4.13! From thy face (ſays he to God, in the anguiſh of his Soul) from thy face ſhall I be hid, and I ſhall be a fugitive and a vagabond in the earth, and it ſhall come to paſs that every one that findeth me ſhall ſlay me, v. 14. Every one that findeth me, how fearful did his guilt make him! When probably there was then but one Man in the World beſides himſelf. And I may ſay of this ſort of men, as St. Jude does of thoſe in his time, Jude v. 11. Wo unto them, for they have gone in the way of Cain, they are guilty of his Crime, and his doom ſhall be theirs.
And here I cannot but take notice of a great Evil that grows daily upon us, and therefore deſerves with the greateſt ſeverity to be diſcountenanced and puniſh'd, I mean that of Duels, than which what can be more unchriſtian? And what can be more unreaſonable, than for men upon deliberation, and after the heat of Paſſion is over, to reſolve to ſheath their Swords in one anothers Bowels, only for a haſty word? And which is yet more unreaſonable, that becauſe two men are angry, and have quarelled with one another, and will fight it out, that therefore two more, who have no quarel, no kind of diſpleaſure againſt one another, muſt fight too, and kill one another if they can, for no reaſon and upon no provocation. Theſe falſe Rules of Honour will not paſs in another World, in the higheſt and greateſt Court of Honour, from whence there is no Appeal.
I ſhall conclude this whole Argument with that excellent ſaying of Cato, reported in A. Gellius, Cogitate cum animis veſtris, &c. Conſider (ſays he) with your ſelves, if ye be at any trouble and pain to do a good action, the trouble will be ſoon over; but the pleaſure and comfort of what ye have done well, abides with you all your days: but if to gratifie your ſelves, you do any thing that is wicked, the pleaſure will quickly vaniſh; but the guilt of it will ſtick by you for ever.
And is it not then much better to prevent all this trouble, by denying our ſelves theſe ſinful pleaſures, which will follow us with guilt while we live, and fill us with horror and deſpair when we come to die?
I ſhall now make ſome reflections upon what hath been delivered, and ſo conclude.
Firſt, What hath been ſaid upon this Argument, ought particularly to move thoſe who have ſo great a conſideration of this preſent life, and the temporal Happineſs of it, that the Practice of all Virtues is a friend to their temporal, as well as eternal welfare, and all Vice is an Enemy to both.
Secondly, This likewiſe takes off all manner of excuſe from Sin and Vice. It pretends not to ſerve the Soul, and to profit our future happineſs in another World; and if it be an Enemy alſo to our preſent welfare in this world, what is there to be ſaid for it?
Thirdly, (which I deſire to inſiſt a little longer upon) all the Arguments which I have uſed, to convince men of the folly of a wicked courſe, are ſo many ſtrong and unanſwerable Reaſons for Repentance; for when a Man is convinced, that he hath done fooliſhly, and to his own prejudice, that he hath ſinned, and that it profited him not, what can he do leſs, than to be heartily ſorry for it, and aſhamed of it, and reſolved to do better for the future? Nothing ſurely is more reaſonable than Repentance; and yet how hard is it to bring men to it? Either men will miſtake the Nature of it, and not do it effectually; or they will delay it, and not do it in time.
I. Men miſtake the Nature of Repentance; and there are two great miſtakes about it.
1. Of thoſe who make the great force and virtue of it to conſiſt, not ſo much in the Reſolution of the Penitent, as in the Abſolution of the Prieſt. And this the Church of Rome, in their Doctrine concerning Repentance does. For their Sacrament of Penance, (as they call it,) they make to conſiſt of two parts; the Matter of it, which conſiſts in theſe three acts of the Penitent, Confeſſion, Contrition, and Satisfaction; and the Form of it, which is the Abſolution of the Prieſt, in which they make the main virtue and force of Repentance to conſiſt, in quâ proecipuè ipſius vis ſita eſt, are the very words of the Council of Trent. And here is a wide difference betwixt us; for tho' the comfort of the Penitent may in ſome caſe conſiſt in the Abſolution of the Prieſt, yet the Virtue and Efficacy of Repentance does not at all conſiſt in it, but wholly in the Contrition and ſincere Reſolution of the Penitent, as the Scripture every where declares: and to think otherwiſe, is of dangerous Conſequence; becauſe it encourageth Men to hope for the benefit of Repentance, that is the Pardon and forgiveneſs of their ſins, without having truly repented. And indeed the Council of Trent have ſo framed their Doctrines in this point, that any one may ſee, that they did not matter how much they abated on the part of the Penitent, provided the Power of the Prieſt be but advanced, and kept up in its full height.
2. The other Miſtake is of thoſe, who make Repentance to conſiſt in the bare Reſolution of Amendment, tho' it never have its effect; that is, tho' the ſinner either do not what he reſolved, or do it only for a fit, and during his preſent Trouble and Conviction.
There is one caſe indeed, and but one, wherein a Reſolution not brought to effect is available, and that is, when nothing hinders the performance and execution of it, but only want of time and oportunity for it, when the Repentance is ſincere, and the Reſolution real, but the Man is cut off between the actual Reformation which he intended, and which God, who ſees things certainly in their Cauſes, knows would have followed, if the Man had lived to give Demonſtration of it: but this is nothing to thoſe who have the oportunity to make good their Reſolution, and do not; for, becauſe the reſolution which would have been perform'd, had there been time and oportunity, is reckoned for a true Repentance, and accepted of God as if it had been done; therefore the Reſolution which was not brought to effect when there was time and oportunity for it, hath not the Nature of true Repentance, nor will it be accepted of God.
I will add but one thing more upon this Head, becauſe I doubt it is not always ſufficiently conſidered; and that is this, that a ſincere Reſolution of a better courſe, does imply a Reſolution of the means, as well as of the end; he that is truly reſolved againſt any ſin, is likewiſe reſolved againſt the occaſions and temptations that would lead and draw him to it; otherwiſe he hath taken up a raſh and fooliſh Reſolution, which he is not like to keep, becauſe he did not reſolve upon that which was neceſſary to the keeping of it. So he that reſolves upon any part of his Duty, muſt likewiſe reſolve upon the means which are neceſſary to the diſcharge and performance of it; he that is reſolved to be juſt in his dealing, and to pay his debts, muſt be diligent in his Calling, and mind his buſineſs; becauſe without this he cannot do the other; for nothing can be more vain and fond, than for a Man to pretend that he is reſolved upon doing his Duty, when he neglects any thing that is neceſſary to put him into a capacity, and to further him in the diſcharge of it. This is, as if a Man ſhould reſolve to be well, and yet never take Phyſick, or be careleſs in obſerving his rules which are preſcribed in order to his health. So for a Man to reſolve againſt Drunkenneſs, and yet to run himſelf upon the temptations which naturally lead to it, by frequenting the Company of Lewd and Intemperate perſons, this is, as if a Man ſhould reſolve againſt the Plague, and run into the Peſt-houſe. Whatever can reaſonably move a Man to be reſolved upon any End, will, if his Reſolution be wiſe and honeſt, determine him as ſtrongly to uſe the Means which are proper and neceſſary to that End.
Theſe are the common Miſtakes about this matter, which Men are the more willing to run into, becauſe they are loth to be brought to a true Repentance; the Nature whereof is not difficult to be underſtood, (for nothing in the world is plainer;) only men are always ſlow to underſtand what they have no mind to put in practice. But
II. Beſides theſe Miſtakes about Repentance, there is another great Miſcarriage in this matter, and that is the delay of Repentance; men are loth to ſet about it, and therefore they put it upon the laſt hazard, and reſolve then to huddle it up as well as they can: but this certainly is great folly, to be ſtill making more work for Repentance, becauſe it is to create ſo much needleſs trouble and vexation to our ſelves; 'tis to go on ſtill in playing a fooliſh part, in hopes to retrieve all by an after-game; this is extreamly dangerous, becauſe we may certainly ſin, but it is not certain we ſhall repent, our Repentance may be prevented, and we may be cut off in our ſins; but if we ſhould have ſpace for it, Repentance may in proceſs of time grow an hundred times more difficult than it is at preſent.
But if it were much more certain, and more eaſie than it is, if it were nothing but a hearty Sorrow and Shame for our ſins, and an asking God forgiveneſs for them, without being put to the trouble of reforming our wicked lives, yet this were great folly, to do thoſe things which will certainly grieve us after we have done them, and put us to ſhame, and to ask forgiveneſs for them. It was well ſaid of Old Cato, nae tu ſtultus es homuncio, qui malis veniam precari, quam non peccare, thou art a fooliſh man indeed, who chuſeſt rather to ask forgiveneſs, than not to offend.
At the beſt, Repentance implies a fault; it is an after-Wiſdom, which ſuppoſeth a Man firſt to have plaid the fool; it is but the beſt end of a bad buſineſs; a hard ſhift, and a deſperate hazard, which a Man that had acted prudently would never have been put to; it is a Plaſter after we have dangerouſly wounded our ſelves: but certainly it had been much wiſer, to have prevented the danger of the wound, and the pain of curing it. A wiſe Man would not make himſelf ſick if he could, or if he were already ſo, would not make himſelf ſicker, tho' he had the moſt Effectual and Infallible Remedy in the world in his power: But this is not the caſe of a ſinner, for Repentance as well as Faith is the gift of God.
Above all, let me caution you, not to put off this great and neceſſary work, to the moſt unſeaſonable time of all other, the time of ſickneſs and death, upon a fond preſumption, that you can be reconciled to God when you pleaſe, and exerciſe ſuch a Repentance as will make your peace with him at any time.
I am heartily afraid, that a very great part of Mankind do miſcarry upon this confidence, and are ſwallowed up in the gulf of Eternal Perdition, with this Plank in their Arms. The common Cuſtom is (and I fear it is too common) when the Phyſician hath given over his Patient, then, and not till then, to ſend for the Miniſter; not ſo much to enquire into the Man's condition, and to give him ſuitable Advice, as to Miniſter comfort, and to ſpeak Peace to him at a venture.
But let me tell you, that herein you put an extream difficult task upon us, in expecting that we ſhould pour Wine and Oyl into the wound before it be ſearched, and ſpeak ſmooth and comfortable things to a Man, that is but juſt brought to a ſenſe of the long courſe of a lewd and wicked Life, impenitently continued in. Alas! what comfort can we give to men in ſuch a caſe? We are loth to drive them to deſpair; and yet we muſt not deſtroy them by preſumption; pity and good nature do ſtrongly tempt us to make the beſt of their caſe, and to give them all the little hopes, which with any kind of Reaſon we can, and God knows it is but very little that we can give to ſuch Perſons upon good ground; for it all depends upon the degree and ſincerity of their Repentance, which God only knows, and we can but gueſs at. We can eaſily tell them what they ought to have done, and what they ſhould do, if they were to live longer, and what is the beſt that they can do in thoſe ſtraights into which they have brought themſelves, viz. to exerciſe as deep a Sorrow and Repentance for their ſins as is poſſible, and to cry mightily to God for Mercy, in and through the Merit of our Bleſſed Saviour. But how far this will be available in theſe Circumſtances we cannot tell; becauſe we do not know, whether if the Man had lived longer, this Repentance and theſe Reſolutions which he now declares of a better courſe, would have been good.
And after all is done that can be done in ſo ſhort a time, and in ſuch Circumſtances of confuſion and diſorder, as commonly attend dying Perſons, I doubt the reſult of all will be this; that there is much more ground of fear than hope concerning them; nay perhaps, while we are preſſing the dying ſinner to Repentance, and he is bungling about it, he expires in great doubt and perplexity of mind what will become of him; or if his Eyes be cloſed with more comfortable hopes of his condition, the next time he opens them again, he may find his fearful miſtake, like the rich Man in the Parable, who when he was in hell, lift up his eyes being in torment.
This is a very diſmal and melancholy conſideration, and commands all men preſently to repent, and not to put off the main work of their lives to the end of them, and the time of ſickneſs and old Age. Let us not offer up a Carcaſs to God inſtead of a living and acceptable Sacrifice: but let us turn to God, in the days of our health and ſtrength, before the evil days come, and the years draw nigh, of which we ſhall ſay we have no pleaſure in them; before the Sun and the Moon and the Stars be darkned. As Solomon elegantly expreſſeth it, Eccl. 12.1, 2. before all the Comforts of Life be gone, before our Faculties be all ceaſed and ſpent, before our Underſtandings be too weak, and our Wills too ſtrong; our Underſtandings be too weak for conſideration, and the deliberate exerciſe of Repentance, and our Wills too ſtrong and ſtiff to be bent and bowed to it.
Let us not deceive our ſelves, Heaven is not an Hoſpital made to receive all Sick and Aged Perſons, that can but put up a faint requeſt to be admitted there; no, no, they are never like to ſee the Kingdom of God, who inſtead of ſeeking it in the firſt place, make it their laſt refuge and retreat, and when they find the Sentence of Death upon them, only to avoid preſent Execution, do bethink themſelves of getting to Heaven, and ſince there is no other Remedy, are contented to Petition the great King and Judge of the World, that they may be tranſported thither.
Upon all theſe Conſiderations, let us uſe no delay in a matter of ſuch mighty conſequence to our eternal Happineſs, but let the counſel which was given to Nebuchadnezzar be acceptable to us; let us Break off our ſins by righteouſneſs, and our iniquities by ſhewing mercy to the poor; if ſo be it may be a lengthning of our tranquillity. Repentance and Alms do well together; let us break off our ſins by righteouſneſs and our iniquities by ſhewing mercy to the poor; eſpecially upon this great occaſion, which his Majeſty's great Goodneſs to thoſe diſtreſſed Strangers, that have taken Sanctuary among us, hath lately preſented us withal, remembring that we alſo are in the body, and liable to the like ſufferings; and conſidering on the one hand, that Gracious promiſe of our Lord, Bleſſed are the merciful, for they ſhall receive mercy; and on the other hand, that terrible threatning in St. James, He ſhall have Judgment without mercy, that hath ſhewed no mercy.
To conclude, from all that hath been ſaid, let us take up a preſent Reſolution of a better courſe, and enter immediately upon it, to day whilſt it is called to day, leſt any of you be hardned through the deceitfulneſs of ſin. O that men were wiſe, that they underſtood this, that they would conſider their latter end. And grant we beſeech the Almighty God, that we may all know and do, in this our day, the things which belong to our peace, for thy mercy's ſake in Jeſus Chriſt, To whom with thee O Father and the Holy Ghoſt, be all Honour and Glory now and for ever. Amen.