Sermons on Psalm 18:23, Sermon · Directions
Directions.
I. Would you keep your ſelves from your iniquities, either your reigning ſins, or your too prevailing corruptions, endeavour to get a deep and thorough ſenſe and conviction of the great ſin and evil of this thy ſpecial iniquity, how diſhonourable it hath been, is, and will be, to God, and how greatly prejudicial to thee, thy Soul and Body too; and labour to keep this ſenſe upon thy Spirit all thy days; ſo as to confeſs and bewail it before the Lord, and to be greatly humbled for it; this would be a means to keep you from it for the time to come, for hereby you will come to taſte the bitterneſs, and feel the weight and burden of it. Therefore keep the evil of it conſtantly in the Eye of your Soul, that you may flee from it: Keep up a ſenſe of the evil of that ſin which was your moſt predominant reigning ſin in your Unregenerate ſtate, thus did Paul: Truſting in his Legal Phariſaical Righteouſneſs, and a Perſecuting Spirit were his ſpecial ſins before his Converſion; and what a deep humble ſenſe had he of them after his Converſion even all his days, 1 Tim. 1.13, 15. Phil. 3.7, 8, 9. He kept far from thoſe ſins for ever after: Confeſſion and Humiliation are as it were the Souls Vomit, cauſed by its being ſick of ſin; now what hath made perſons Heart-ſick, they will not eaſily be perſuaded to feed on again, tho' it may be pleaſing to the Palat: No more will you taſte of thoſe (to the Fleſh) ſweet morſels of ſin, which God by his Spirit and Grace hath made bitter to your Soul: But now if the ſenſe of ſins odiouſneſs begins to wear off, you will be in danger to be again intangled with your old corruptions; therefore as you would keep your ſelves from your iniquities, keep a ſenſe of the odiouſneſs and bitterneſs of them upon your Hearts.
II. Be earneſt and importunate in Prayer to God, as for Pardon of, ſo for Power againſt theſe thy ſpecial iniquities; beg earneſtly for ſpecial Grace and Strength againſt thy ſpecial ſins. When thou haſt found out, Indicted, and Accuſed this ſin, at God's Tribunal, then cry out to God, as for Mercy to thee through Chriſt, ſo for Juſtice againſt thy ſins, that God would kill them, and inable thee to mortifie and crucifie them; drag theſe Traitors before God's Tribunal, and ſay, Lord, theſe are the Arch-Rebels againſt thy Crown, and Dignity, ſlay them before thy face. Theſe are ſome of thoſe Devils, or Deviliſh Luſts, that will not be caſt out but by Prayer, yea by Faſting and Prayer: Do by theſe ſins, as Paul did by the Meſſenger of Satan, 2 Cor. 12.7, 8. Ply the Throne of Grace, give God no reſt till he return ſuch a Gracious anſwer as he did to him, verſe 9. My grace ſhall be ſufficient for thee.
III. Would you keep your ſelves from your iniquity, then to your ſenſe of, humiliation for, and Prayers againſt it, be ſure, you that are Believers, to add Faith in Chriſt, and the lively vigorous actings of it upon him, as for the forgiveneſs of it, ſo for power againſt it, and for the ſin killing vertue of the Death of Chriſt, to kill and crucifie this thy too prevailing corruption. Fetch in from Chriſt by Faith, conſtant ſupplies of ſpiritual ſtrength againſt theſe ſins of thine: You muſt have more ſtrength than your own, more than the ſtrength of Nature, of Reaſon, of your own Wills, Purpoſes, and Reſolutions, yea than of Grace already received, to keep you from, and inable you to prevail againſt ſuch ſtrong corruptions as theſe are, they will be too ſtrong for your Purpoſes, Duties, and Graces, if God do not ſtrengthen you with ſtrength in your Souls by his Spirit. It is God muſt keep you, you cannot keep your ſelves, Pſal. 127.1. Except the Lord keep the City, the Watchman wateheth but in vain. So it will be in relation to your Souls, and the keeping them from ſin. When David ſays in the Text, I kept my ſelf, he doth not arrogate to himſelf, only tells you what was his duty, and his care and endeavour to perform; but he was ſenſible God only could keep him, which made him pray, as Pſal. 19.11, 12. Cleanſe me from my ſecret faults, and keep back thy ſervant from preſumptuous ſins, and their dominion, and ſo from the great tranſgreſſion. Doſt thou, O Soul, feel thy iniquity ſtirring in thee, and prevailing over thee, if thou be yet in an unconverted ſtate, pray that God would work Faith in thee; and if thou art converted, ſtir up and act Faith on Chriſt; pray earneſtly to God to inable thee ſo to do; lift up an Eye of Faith to Chriſt, and put forth an Hand of Faith to take hold on him, and fetch ſtrength from him, and cry to him, when this ſin ſets upon thee, that he would make thee more than Conqueror over this thy iniquity.
IV. Would you keep your ſelves from your particular iniquities, make uſe of the Sword of the Spirit, the Word of God: Study, Apply and Improve the Word both Written and Preached againſt your moſt ſtrong and prevailing corruptions: Improve the Word in all the parts of it, its Precepts, Prohibitions, Threatnings, Promiſes, Examples and Experiences recorded in it; againſt thy particular corruptions, whatever you read or hear in, and from the Word of God, againſt ſin in general, apply it againſt thy iniquity in particular, as if it were named.
Is thy iniquity, an Omiſſion; living in the neglect of any commanded duty, publick, family or ſecret, toward God, or of any duty of Juſtice or Charity toward Man, or of Sobriety toward thy ſelf? muſter up the Holy Precepts of God, and turn the edge of them againſt thy ſin, mingling them with Faith and Prayer: Say, how ſhall I dare to live in the neglect of theſe duties which God ſo expreſly injoyns in his Word.
Is thy iniquity a ſin of Commiſſion; then apply and turn the edge of the Prohibitions of the Word againſt that ſin of thine, ſay to thy Soul, how ſhall I dare to do that which God ſo expreſly forbids, and which his Soul hates? Make uſe of the Threatnings of Gods Word againſt thy ſin in particular, againſt thy Pride, Paſſion, Covetouſneſs, Uncleanneſs, Drunkenneſs, Deceit, or any other ſin. And apply the Promiſes of Power againſt ſin in general, or particular againſt thy ſins, ſuch as, Mic. 7.19. Rom. 6.14. Ezek. 36.25, 26, 27. improve them to cleanſe thee from all filthineſs of Fleſh and Spirit, 2 Cor. 7.1.2 Pet. 1.4. And alſo improve the Examples of Saints falling into ſin, and recovering out of it, to make thee watchful, againſt falls, and quicken and forward thy recovery, when overtaken and fallen.
V. Would you keep your ſelves from your iniquity, then be jealous of, and over your own Hearts, and be very Watchful againſt that iniquity of yours you find your ſelves moſt prone to, and againſt all occaſions of it; cut off from it all proviſions, all that would feed and fulfil theſe Luſts, Rom. 13.14. cut ſin ſhort; ſtarve theſe ſins of thine, do not pamper them; deny thy ſelf in what ever tends to feed thy ſin; take heed of that company which thou findeſt is likely to draw thee into thy peculiar iniquity: Deny thy ſelf in things in themſelves lawful, that are not neceſſary, that thou findeſt apt to inſnare thee, and lead thee to thy ſpecial ſin. I ſay, things lawful, that are not neceſſary, you muſt in ſuch a caſe, forbear the uſe of: But you muſt not forbear the uſe of ſuch things as are neceſſary, as Food, and Phyſick, for fear they ſhould prove occaſions of ſin; but you muſt be watchful in the uſe of them.
Much leſs muſt you forbear what is your duty to God, or Men, becauſe you may be in danger to be proud, or reſt in duties; nor muſt you decline ſerving God in your Generation, as he gives you a call and opportunity to be ſerviceable to him, the Church, the World, and civil Societies; but you muſt double your Diligence and Watch, and Guard againſt the ſins that are apt to cleave to your Duties, and againſt the Temptations that are apt to beſet you in the Places, Imployments, Relations, or Company you may be called to.
VI. Would you keep your ſelves from your moſt powerful and prevailing iniquity, you who have a work and principle of Grace wrought in you by the Spirit of God, labour to grow moſt of all in, and moſt to exerciſe that Grace which is moſt directly contrary to that ſin thou art moſt prone to, and moſt eaſily and frequently foiled by; for contraries do beſt and moſt effectually expel each other; thus Oppreſſion was Zacheus's ſin, and he kept himſelf from this his iniquity, by performing the duty, and exemplifying the Grace directly contrary to this ſin, namely, making reſtitution, and exerciſing mercy, bounty and liberality, giving the half of his Goods to the Poor, Luk. 19.8. Cruelty was the Jailors Sin, but when converted, he keeps himſelf from this his iniquity, by exerciſing the Graces moſt oppoſite to this ſin, namely, courteſie and kindneſs to Paul and Silas, Acts 16.24, 33, 34. Oh what a different carriage was here! So Paul before his Converſion was a moſt bitter and cruel Perſecutor of Chriſtians, and the Chriſtian Religion, but when Converted, who more eminent than he, in Preaching the Goſpel, and ſuffering for it; God, and do thou likewiſe. Hath Covetouſneſs, Strait-heartedneſs, and pinching from Pious and Charitable uſes, been your predominant iniquity, and would you keep your ſelves from it? Reſolve then in God's ſtrength to croſs this Covetous temper, and exerciſe the contrary Duty and Grace of Liberality and Heavenlymindedneſs.
Is Pride in Apparel, or in any other way, whether of Heart or Life, your Sin? To keep you from this your iniquity, reſolve to lay aſide all the Badges of Pride, and in an eſpecial manner ſet your ſelves to exerciſe the Grace of Humility, to be cloathed with it both in the inward and outward Man. Hath Paſſion, raſh Anger, bitter and fierce Expreſſions in your Paſſion been your ſin, and would you keep your ſelves from it? Then ſet your ſelves in the ſtrength of Chriſt to the exerciſe of Meekneſs and Quietneſs of Spirit, and calmneſs in Speech and Behaviour. Hath Intemperance, or Unchaſtity been your ſin? To keep you from this, Exerciſe exact Temperance in Meat, Drink, Sleep, Apparel and Recreations, and Chaſtity in Heart, Speech, and your whole Carriage; and by the diligent and believing uſe of theſe means, and following theſe Directions, you may come to keep your ſelves from your iniquities, and thereby evidence your being upright before the Lord.
FINIS.