Contentment Leading a Christian, Treatise 1 · Chapter 5
CHAP. V. Of the multitude of sinnes, the assault, and Contentment.
OTher spirituall calamities are from sinne, which makes assault against our faith and sweet content in God, in regard of, first, the number, secondly, the greatnesse; thirdly, relapse into the same.
Against the number of sins, repentance Grounds of contentment against the multitude of sinnes. 1& godlinesse fenceth the heart by these meditations.
1 The multitude of mercies in God, who is rich in mercy, as able and willing to forgive ten thousand talents as one, as in the parable of the servant indebted, Matth. 18. 27. all is one with him. He hath a multitude of mercies and compassions, and will Psal. 51. 1.cast all our sins into the bottome of the Sea. Isaac had but one blessing in Mic. 7. 19.comparison of this multiplicity.
2 Oppose the price, value, and merit of the Blood of Christ, which 2 1 Ioh. 1. 7cleanseth from all sins, be they never so many. We are not redeemed with 1 Pet. 1. 19.corruptible things, as silver and gold, but the precious Blood of Iesus Christ. And if the blood of Bulls and Goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkled on the uncleane, sanctified as touching the purifying of the flesh, how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternall spirit offered himselfe without spot, purge the conscience from dead workes to serve Hebr. 9. 13, 14.the living God? This blood is never dry, the vertue of it never wasted: the good Samaritan will pay all.
3 The promise of God is, that 3upon our repentance the multitude of our sinnes shall be no barre to his mercy, Ezek. 18. 21. If the wicked man shall turne from all his wickednesse, all his transgressions shall not be mentioned unto him. Nay rather, where sin abounds, grace shall superabound, Rom. 5. 20.
4 Mercy pleaseth him, yea, unstinted 4 Mat. 18. 21.mercy: when Peter asked our Saviour, how oft his brother offending should be pardoned, whether unto seven times, our Saviour answered, I say not unto thee, till seven times, but unto seventy times seven times, that is, so oft as he repenteth. If God require in man (in whom is but a drop of mercy) that he should not pardon by tale and number, but, so oft as the brother returneth, he must have all forgiven; how much more must the Lord, whose wayes are above Esa. 55. 8, 9.mans, and with whom is the Ocean of mercy, and who delighteth in nothing more then mercy, be infinite and unstinted in pardoning when we truely returne?
Indeed the number of our sinnes is such, as may well set us in a maze, and astonish us: and when wee see them grow to so great a reckoning, if the Lord did pardon by number, and not beyond such a number, wee might sinke under them: But when when we see him a Chirurgion that hath salve enough for all wounds, and infinite playsters of compassion to heale all our sinnes; this upholds us, and make us sue to him for pardon. We have a sea of rebellions, but he hath a farre more bottomelesse sea of compassions to drowne them in.
5 Oppose the examples of great 5sinners, readily received to mercy: Many sins in the sinne of Adam Aquin 2. 2. 163. 3.As of Adam, in whose one sinne were couched many: first, contempt of Gods Commandement, who charged him not to eat of the forbidden fruit: secondly, incredulity, not beleeving that word, In the day thou eatest, thou Gen. 2. 17.shalt dye: thirdly, unthankfulnesse, not contented with their good estate: fourthly, pride, desiring to be like unto God, and know good and evill: fiftly, presumption, that they should not die though they did eate: sixtly, murder and homicide, bringing death upon themselves and all their posterity. In a word, this one sinne All the Commandements broken by it.was the breach of all Gods Commandements, and was a sinne out of measure sinfull. First, in regard of the fruits of it, the contagion of all mankinde: secondly, of Adams person, Ubi sublimior est prerogativa, ibi major est calpa. Salv de gub. l. 4.whose excellent gifts might easily have resisted; thirdly, of the facility of the Commandement, it was no hard one; fourthly, of the place, Paradise, where he wanted no content, and had no provocation. And yet Adam thus tumbling in a multitude of sinnes had mercy offered before he required, and a gracious promise of the like to all his posterity. Here we see the father of the Prodigall childe running to meet his sonne a farre off, even before he say, I will returne to my father.
Consider also the example of David, And in the sinne of David.who sinned grievously.
1 Against God, who had done many things for him above other, as he confesseth, Against thee, against thee have I sinned. Psal. 51. 4.
2 Against Uriah: by defiling and dishonesting his wife, more deare to him then all his substance: by making him drunke, and taking away his sobriety: and by taking away his life, being so faithfull and good a subject, adventuring his life for the safety and honour of his Countrey. A bloody sinne.
3 Against Bathsheba, whose sober and formerly chaste minde hee had corrupted, and whose body hee defiled.
4 Against his owne house and family, by bringing into it dishonor, uucleannesse, death and sword: Dishonour, by bring…g in a bastard, by which he made the …, … God to 2… … …2 4.blaspheme: Vncleann…sse and f…lenesse by the sinne, so much the f…uler as the person was higher: Death of the childe borne in adultery, and the sword which never departed out of his house.
This sin was every way odious; and yet see the readinesse of God to pardon this multitude of sinnes. Nathan comes and tels David of it, David said, I have sinned, and Nathan saith presently, The Lord hath put away thy sinne, 2 Sam. 12.
Whereunto adde, that God by forgiving many sinnes (as to Mary) will be loved so much the more, Luke 7. 47.
And let this stay and content the heart laden with many sinnes, if repenting, beleeving, and saying, There is mercy with thee that thou mayest Psal. 130. 4.be feared.