Characters of a Sincere Heart, Chapter 8
CHAP. VIII. Shewing, that where the Heart is ſincere, there is a ſtrict Watch ſet upon the Heart and Life, to keep us from boſome Sins.
THe eighth Character of ſincerity is a Charact. 8. A ſtrict Watch againſt boſome St…s.ſtrict Watch ſet upon the Heart and Life, againſt all and every boſome and beloved Sin: Be thy ſins as dear and as near as a right hand, or a right eye, they muſt be cut off, and pluckt out; for ſo ſaith our Saviour, Obſervem…s in hac Chriſti admonitione quo ſerio qno fervore quamque vehementi cautione opus ſit regnum Dei quaere…ibus ut offendiculorum occaſiones undicunq…e irruentes amputent. Muſch. in Loc.Matth. 5. 29, 30. And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and caſt it from thee; for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members ſhould periſh, and not that thy whole body ſhould be caſt into Hell. And if thy right hand offend thee, cut it off, and caſt it from thee; for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members ſhould periſh, and not that thy whole body ſhould be cast into Hell. But theſe words may not be underſtood literally, of mutilating and of diſmembring of our ſelves, but we are to underſtand them as ſpoken by way of caution, and of ſtrict command, not only to avoid all ſins, but all manner of appearance of evil; and likewiſe all ſorts of occaſions and temptations to ſin. The Pſalmiſt gives a clear note of diſtinction between him whoſe heart is upright, and him whoſe heart is not upright towards God, Pſal. 18. 23. I was (ſaith he) upright before Neque quiſquam ia pietatis ſiudio perget, niſi qui ſedulo ſe cuſtodiet ab iaiq…itatc ſua. Caiv. in Loc. Ab iniquitate meâ, i. c. ad quam naturā meâ proius ſum, h. e. ne quid pravi admilterem aut neſcclus admitterem quas antea admiſiſſem. Vatabl.him, and I kept my ſelf from mine iniquity. It's plain and evident from that Scripture, that every boſome ſin, which David calls mine iniquity, ought in an eſpecial manner to be watched againſt, and prevented; and if we be overtaken with it, we ſhould loathe and leave it. That ſin is a boſome ſin which is peccatum in deliciis, a darling ſin, like a Delilah in the boſome; an Agag, a ruling ſin; a Gibeonite, a pretending ſin: any ſin that pleads with an Exceptive, as Naaman did, 2 Kings 5. 18. In this thing the Lord pardon thy Servant, that when my Maſter goeth into the houſe of Rimmon to worſhip there, and he leaneth on my hand, and I bow down my ſelf in the houſe of Rimmon, the Lord pardon thy Servant in this thing. All theſe, and ſuch like Apologies and pleadings, pretences and excuſes for ſin, muſt be utterly abhor'd and abandon'd altogether. Suppoſe thy ſins may be leſfer comparatively than ſome others, yet no ſin can be ſo little, but it's greatly hated and abhor'd by Almighty God, and deſerves his wrath to be poured down upon the Sinner unto all eternity. As for inſtance, ſuppoſe thou accuſtomeſt thy ſelf to petty and leſſer Oaths, frothy and vain diſcourſe, jeſting lyes, &c. yet all theſe have filth and guilt in them, and are odious and abominable in the fight of God, and therefore we ought to deteſt and utterly forſake them. One of the ancient Fathers, of the higheſt rank, declares his judgment, That none ought Auguſtito tell (though but one) a lye, although the telling of that one lye might ſave the whole World. The Reaſon of that Aſſertion is grounded upon that Propoſition of eternal Truth, We may not do evil that good may come thereof. Ancient ſins, which are of long ſtanding and cuſtom, ſuch as are ſins of pleaſure and profit, ſuch as ſuit moſt with the genius, complexion, and conſtitution of particular men, and conduce moſt to the ſatisfaction of carnal luſts, and to the pleaſing of fleſh and blood, and corrupt nature, are ſo far from being extenuated, as notwithſtanding Cuſtom and Antiquity, they carry a greater Aggravation with them. Thieves, Murtherers, and ſuch notorious criminal perſons, cannot expect to fare a whit the better, but the worſe altogether, for pleading a cuſtom and habit in their wickedneſs: Wherefore then let us in good earneſt loat he and deteſt all ſins, and after loathing and deteſting, leave and forſake all manner of ſins; and break off both acts and habits of ſinning by unfeigned repentance, and converſion to God. And let us fulfil that Propheſie by our daily practice, Iſai. 30. 22. Ye ſhall defile alſo the covering of thy graven Images of Silver, and ornament of thy molten Images of Gold. Thou ſhalt cast them away as a menſtruous Cloth; thou ſhalt ſay unto it, Get thee hence. Let none preſume to plead for any ſin, as Lot pleaded for Zoar; Is it not a little one? and my Soul ſhall live. A little leak in a Ship, if it be neglected and not ſtopt up preſently, may ſink the Ship, and ſo all in the Ship may be ſuddenly drowned. A little Thief put into a Window may open the Door, and let in a multitude of ſuch deſperate Cut-throats, as may quickly deſtroy a whole Family. A little Penknife, a little Aul or Bodkin, may kill a man as ſoon as either Sword, Spear, or Gun. Siſera the General of Jabin's Forces, ran away on his feet, and ſo eſcaped the edge of the Sword in the open field, but by Jael he was kill'd in the Tent: for we read, Judges 4. 21. That Jael, Heber's Wife, took a Nail of the Tent, and took an Hammer in her hand, and went ſoftly unto him, and ſmote the Nail into his Temples, and faſtned it into the ground, (for he was fast aſleep and weary) ſo he died.
Sect. 2 In our moſt compoſed and deliberate thoughts, let us conſider that there is no ſin ſo little, but (without the interpoſing of the merits of Chriſt) will damn us both Body and Soul into the nethermoſt Hell. There is no little God, no little Price paid to make an Attonement for Sin; and no little Hell, the place of Torments. Oh then! as thou conſulteſt the good of thy precious Soul, lay aſide altogether all manner of Apologies, pretences, pleadings, and expoſtulations, and all manner of hopes of obtaining any Diſpenſations for any one Sin, which may be comparatively leſſer than ſome others: As for that ſin which in thy account is not to be regarded, as if it were either a little one, or none at all, (without repentance and pardon, purchaſed through the Bloud of Chriſt) thy Soul and Body may be caſt into that Lake which burneth with Fire and Brimſtone to all eternity. One of the chiefeſt rank of the Roman Hiſtorians relates what Hanno ſaid of Hannibal, That ſuch a Parvus hic ig…is iace… dium …geis exuſcitet. Iav.little Spark might cauſe a great Flame. The Embers of an evil Thought may ſet the whole man in combuſtion: ſinful thoughts which are in embrione, and not yet come to maturity, yet being not cruſh'd not diſallowed, may in a ſhort tract of time bring forth evil words, and afterwards full-born actions of all ſorts of abominations. As ſoon as Goliah, that inſolent proud-daring Champion, was brain'd, and his Head with his own Sword ſever'd from his ſhoulders, then forthwith the whole Army of the Philiſtins was routed, and utterly overthrown. If then all Champion-reigning Sins (ſuch I call ſo which are darling boſome Sins) be conquered and deſtroyed, then all other ſins which are of more than ordinary incurſion, will the ſooner be vanquiſhed and ſubdued. We read that when the King of Syria went to joyn battle againſt Ahab King of Iſrael, 2 Kings 22. 31. that he gave ſtrict command to his thirty and two Captains, that had rule over his Chariots, ſaying, Fight neither with ſmall nor great, ſave only with the King of Iſrael. Now if the Queſtion be made, Why was the battle principally deſign'd againſt the King of Iſrael? The Anſwer is at hand, Becauſe the King of Iſrael was the worſt Enemy, and moſt hating, and moſt hated. Although in our ſpiritual warfare we muſt valiantly encounter and fight againſt every ſin, yet in an eſpecial manner we muſt with renewed ſtrength fight againſt all boſome ſins; becauſe the more they are delighted in, and hugg'd in the boſome, they prove more miſchievous; as Vipers and Serpents, who being once received into the boſome, ſuddenly deſtroy thoſe who give them entertainment. Queſtionleſs every ſin is of a poiſonous and deſtructive nature; yet a beloved ſin carries with it more aggravating circumſtances, and ſo proves more miſchievous and deſtructive; as may be abundantly evidenced by the ſad conſequences thereof, as daily experience witneſſeth abundantly.
Sect. 3 For a further illuſtration of the Aſſertion, by a plain and obvious ſimilitude: Would any man, though of an ordinary capacity, habour Vipers, Adders, Scorpions, Toads, and ſuch like noxious and hurtful creatures in his houſe? would any entertain ſuch kind of dangerous creatures in his bed, and lay them in his boſome, and ſo venture to ſleep with them? None can eaſily imagine that any there are who are ſo far ſequeſtred from common ſenſe and reaſon, as to venture to give a boſome reception to ſuch kind of creatures which are offenſive and deſtructive unto mankind. The chiefeſt of the Heathen Orators tells us, That Principio generi animantium omni eſt a naturâ tributum, utſe, vitam corpuſque tueatur, deelinetq…e ea, quae …ocitura videantur. Ci…. off. Ib. 1.naturally all creatures muſt defend their life and body, and avoid all thoſe things which are hurtful. Wherefore let's conſider ſeriouſly, and after mature deliberation we ſhall confeſs, that any beloved Sin is worſe than any Viper, Scorpion, Adder, or Toad in the boſome; and whilſt thou embraceſt and pleaſeſt thy ſelf in any beloved Sin, thou takeſt a ready courſe to deſtroy both thy Body and Soul. Wherefore, Oh Chriſtian! if thou haſt any love, any regard or commiſeration of thy immortal and heavenly-born being Soul, give not thy ſelf the leaſt allowance or diſpenſation in any beloved Sin: for if thou pleadeſt for thy Sins, thou art the greateſt Enemy to thy own Soul. Let not any voluptuous man plead for his pleaſures and ſenſual delights; let not any unchaſte man plead for his Strumpet, or for any wanton laſcivious carriage; let not any vain frothy Jeſter and Scoffer plead for any wittily contriv'd lye, colluſion, or any abuſive carriage; let not any Tradeſman excuſe his lying, and overreaching in his Trade, and vending of ſophiſticated wares, and refuſe commodities; let him not flatter himſelf with vain pretences, as if his lying, equivocating, and jugling, would much conduce to his profit; let him not pretend that he cannot keep open ſhop, and maintain his family; and if he ſhould once leave his lying, and ſwearing, and couzening, his family would be utterly undone. All ſuch kind of pleadings are odious and abominable in the ſight of God. Neither Antiquity nor Cuſtom, nor pleaſure nor profit will excuſe thee in the leaſt, nor relieve thee before the impartial Tribunal of Jeſus Chriſt: When thou ſhalt appear before the Judgment-ſeat of Chriſt, then all ſinful pleadings, and all vain Apologies, will be ſo far from extenuating or leſſening thy ſin at that great day, as that they will aggrava…e them both as to the ſilth and guilt of them. And then Chriſt will pronounce againſt thee that dreadful ſentence of condemnation. We read Matth. 25. that ſins of omiſſions could not in the leaſt excuſe them: And ſome in an eſpecial manner have bewail'd their ſins of omiſſion; how then ſhall the Biſhop Uſher late Primate of Ireland.commiſſions of ſcandalous ſins excuſe thee at that great day of account; and amongſt other ſins, ſuch as are beloved, boſome and cuſtomary ſins, moſt pleaſing to fleſh and blood; theſe will aggravate both thy ſins and thy puniſhments at the day of Judgment.