Characters of a Sincere Heart, Chapter 9
CHAP. IX. A deſire and univerſal endeavour againſt all and every Sin, is a Character of a ſincere Heart, and it's accompanied with the Practice of all Duties.
Sect. 1 THe ninth Character of ſincerity conſiſts Charact. 9. A deſire and endeavour againſt all Sins, and for the practice of all Duties.in a deſire univerſally extenſive, and an equal endeavour againſt all manner and all ſorts of Sins, and a deſire and endeavor as extenſive to yield obedience unto all Command, and to practice all Duties.
The deſire and endeavour muſt be The deſire and endeavour muſt be extenſive againſt all ſins.extenſive againſt all manner of all ſins. There muſt be a deſire and endeavour to refrain from every evil way; and not only from one ſin, but from all ſins of all ſorts, and all manner of ſizes; though as conſidered comparatively they may not be pleaded for at all, (though leſs than others) but they muſt be utterly abandoned and forſaken, as well as others of a greater filth and guilt. Thus the Pſalmiſt profeſſeth, Pſal. 119. 101. I have refrained my feet from every evil way, that I may keep thy word. By feet we are to underſtand, the whole courſe of our lives and converſations in a comprehenſive ſenſe, taking in the whole duty of man. And that we may keep the Word of God, and keep cloſe to his Statutes, we muſt wage war againſt every ſin, and *Significat ſe bellum indixiſſe omnibus vitiis, ut ſe Deo in obſequium dederet. Calv.refrain our feet from every evil way. There muſt then of neceſſity be an univerſal loathing, and an univerſal leaving of every ſin; for in every ſin, even in ſuch as ſome call a peccadillo, there is poiſon and venome, for which there is no other Antidote but the Bloud of Jeſus Chriſt. There is no ſin which is in its own nature venial, unleſs the Bloud of Chriſt make it ſo. Wherefore that commonly received diſtinction amongſt Papiſts, of venial and mortal ſins, is to be diſcarded altogether, as a rotten diſtinction: The Papiſts may rather, according to their own practice, call ſins venal, becauſe they ſet ſins to ſale and grant Indulgences for money; and ſo hope to make a good Market of Peoples bad lives, thereby intending to inrich the Popes Coffers, and the Prieſts Purſes. But they in the mean time preſumptuouſly derogate from the Merits of Jeſus Chriſt, by preſumptuouſly arrogating to themſelves a power of forgiving of ſins, upon the payment of moneys for Indulgences. Againſt them may be juſtly retorted the ſame cenſure which the Apoſtle pronounced againſt Simon Magus, Acts 8. 20. for offering of money: Thy money periſh with thee, becauſe thou hast thought that the gift of God may be purchaſed with money. As for Popiſh Pardons and Indulgences, both Givers and Takers are abominable, becauſe they undervalue the pardoning Mercy of God in Jeſus Chriſt. It's an undoubted ſign of all thoſe who love God, to hate evil. So ſaith the Pſalmiſt, Pſal. 97. 10. Ye that love the Lord, hate evil. And this hatred muſt be an univerſal hatred of all manner of ſins, without exception; and it muſt be a perfect and irreconcileable hatred. Deadly fewds (ſuch as Chronicles mention) between Family and Family, were barbarous and abominable, and tended to the utter ſubverſion of many Families: But here, a deadly fewd is lawful; i. e. to perpetuate our hatred and enmity againſt all manner of ſins and corruptions. David declares his utter hatred and indignation againſt all the Enemies of God, Pſal. 139. 23, 24. I hate them, O Lord, that hate thee. And am not I grieved with thoſe that riſe up against thee? I hate them with a perfect hatred, I count them mine enemies. David hated their ſins rather than their perſons; though he loved their perſons, yet as they were God's enemies, for their notorious rebellions againſt God, he hated them with a perfect hatred. It's an univerſal charge enjoyn'd by the Apoſtle, Rom. 10. 9. to all without exception, Abhor that which is evil, and cleave to that which is good. Not only one Cockatrice, but all the breed of Cockatrices are of a poiſonous and deſtructive nature, and miſchievous to mankind, and therefore not only ſuch as come to maturity, but thoſe alſo which are in the Egg ought to be deſtroyed. So every ſin is of a poiſonous and miſchievous nature, and therefore ought to be ſtifled in the fir… conception, and be prevented from proceeding to any ripeneſs. For any Woman to ſtifle and deſtroy the fruit of her womb (though the conception be very early) is abominable murther in the ſight of God; and if ſuch courſes be practiſed, they tend to the rooting out a ſucceſſion of all mankind: But as for all manner of ſins and wickedneſs, though newly committed, and gone no further then a thought, yet that very evil thought ſhould be checkt and diſallowed. The School men have coyn'd quaint notions, and amongſt them are mention'd motus primo primi; let them not mince nor extenuate ſins by ſuch Cob-web diſtinctions; for thoſe beginnings, (to ſpeak more plainly) which by them are call'd primo primi, are ſinful; thoſe firſt riſings and motions, as ſinful, are to be deſtroyed, mourned for, and never ſuffered to proceed to any further maturity.
Sect. 2 2. As there muſt be a refraining and 2. An endeavour to practiſe all Gods commands.abſtaining from all manner of ſins, ſo there muſt be an endeavour to obey all Commands, and practiſe all Duties. Hereupon the Pſalmiſt profeſſeth, Pſal. 119. 6. Then ſhall I not be aſhamed, when I have reſpect unto all thy commandments. It is an infallible and undoubted ſign of a gracious heart, neither to divide in duties nor in commands; neither to make exceptions and diſtinctions, as if one grace was to be got, and not another. Neither may we plead a diſpenſation from any duty, whether it be commanded in the firſt or ſecond Table. For inſtance, whoever he be that pretends a ſtrict obſervation of the Sabbath day (I mean only the Lords day Sabbath) and pretends a hatred of ſwearing and lying, and of all manner of Idolatry, and yet this man is diſhoneſt and unjuſt in his dealings, he is without doubt an errand Hypocrite; and likewiſe whoever he be that pretends to deal juſtly and uprightly between man and man, and to pay every one his own, (which is both neceſſary and commendable) and yet this man makes no conſcience at all of obſerving the Lords day, nor of keeping his Word or Oath, nor of uſing the Name of God with reverence, ſuch a man is but a meer formaliſt, and a ſtranger to the power of godlineſs: For the ſame God who commands one duty commands another, and laies an equal obligation to yield ready and chearful obedience unto both Tables. For the whole Law of God is copulative, and Lex Dei eſt uta tota copulativa. Illyric.one Commandment is joyn'd to another as a link of the ſame golden Chain. Hence it appears in Deuteronomy, Deut. 5. 18, 19, 20, 21. that there is a concatenation and connexion between all the Commandments of God. Neither ſhalt thou commit adultery, neither ſhalt thou ſteal, neither ſhalt thou bear falſe witneſs against thy neighbour, neither ſhalt thou deſire thy neighbours wife, neither ſhalt thou covet thy neighbours houſe, his field, or his man-ſervant, or his maid-ſervant, his ox or his aſs, or any thing that is thy neighbours. From which Scriptures we conclude, That there ought to be an equal regard unto one Commandment Q…jcquid … cum ſi, equali…er ſit.as well as another; for there is one only holy Lord God, who commands one Commandment in the Decalogue as well as an other. This was the very trade, or grand employment which St. Paul did drive, Acts 24. 16. To keep a conſcience void of offence, towards God and towards man. The Apoſtle did not ſhift and put off this grand negotiation from himſelf, as if he were unconcern'd, and therefore left it to others; but it's ſaid, herein do foreign.I exerciſe my ſelf. Neither did the Apoſtle ſit faſt and looſe, and (as we ſay) exerciſe himſelf by fits and ſtarts only, but he made it his buſineſs, exerciſe and imployment; for it's ſaid, alwaies. Neither foreign.will any ſort of conſcience, at a venture, ſerve the turn; becauſe there are many bad conſciences: but the Apoſtle only values and exerciſeth a conſcience foreign.void of offence. And ſuch a conſcience, in its extent and latitude, is a foreign, or an infallible note of the ſincerity of that heart, which in the Apoſtles language, keeps a conſcience void of offence, toward God and toward men. Farther the ſaid Apoſtle makes mention of three ſignificant Adverbs, which comprehend the whole duty of man; viz. ſoberly, foreign.righteouſly, and godly. As to all commands, and to all ſorts of duties commanded in the Word of God, we muſt make it our buſineſs to manifeſt our thorow and impartial obedience, not picking and chuſing, as if when we had perform'd an eaſier duty, then we might obtain a diſpenſation for a greater commandment. But all ſuch manner of halving and dividing is odious and abominable in the ſight of Almighty God; for every divided heart is faulty, as the Prophet ſaith, Hoſ. 10. 2. Their heart is divided, therefore they ſhall be found faulty. Wherefore Univerſality of the ſubject, the whole man, which in a comprehenſive acceptation takes in all the members of the Body, and faculties of the Soul, Univerſality of the object, the whole Law, and Univerſality of time and place, are eſſentially requiſite to the compleating of the obedience of every ſincere hearted Chriſtian. This Character ſearcheth very near the heart; and he who hath it, without all queſtion is a ſincere hearted man. By this Character let us in an eſpecial manner try our ſelves; even by the univerſality of our hatred of all manner of ſins, and by the univerſality of our obedience unto all God's commands; and by the univerſality of our endeavours to grow in every grace. Univerſality is both a diviſive and conſtitutive difference, for it diſtinguiſheth a half nominal and formal outſide Chriſtian, from a ſincere Chriſtian; and it conſtitutes a Child of God.