A Short and Sure Way to Grace and Salvation, Section 8 – Section 15
Sect. VIII.
But it will be demanded how this comes … be ſo? and what was the cauſe?
To which I anſwer; God at firſt, entered into Convenant with our firſt parents as publick perſons; both in behalf of themſelvs, and all that ſhould proceed out of their loin…; and ſo, that whatſoever gifts, privileges and endowments they had beſtowed upon them, ſhould be continued to them and theirs onelyonly upon condition of their loyaltie, and perſonal obedience (of which the tree of life was a pledge:) and they ſhould have and injoy them, or loſe and be deprived of them, aſwell for their off-ſp…i…g, as for themſelves, as they ſhould keep, or tranſgreſſe his royal Law.
But ſee how unworthily they demeaned themſelvs, towards this their boun…ul Maker and Benefactor! For whereas God placed them in Paradice, and gave them free liberty to eat of the fruit of every tree in the Garden; ſave onelyonly of the tree of knowledge of good and c…i…, prehibiting them that alone, even upon pain of eternal death to them and theirs; they moſt pe…fidi…uſly contemned, and brake this Law; which (as ſundry circumſtances that do aggravate it ſhew) was a moſt execrable and damnable ſin. As obſerve the ſeveral circuſtances ſet down by Moſes, to amplifie the foulneſſe of their Fall: as,
Firſt, that they deſpiſed, and made light of the promiſe of God; whereby they were commanded to hope for everlaſting life, ſo long as they continued their loialty and obedience.
2. There was in it an unſufferable pride and ambition, in that he could not content himſelf with being Lord of the whole Univerſe: but he muſt be equal unto God; and every way like his Maker.
3. What greater unbelife could there be? when he gave more credit to the Serpent, in ſaying, he ſhould not die; then to God, who immediately before tells them, that if he did ſin in eating the forbidden fruit, he ſhould die.
4. In this ſin was not onelyonly unkindneſſe not to be parallel'd: but wilful murther of himſelf, and all his poſterity, whom he knew were to ſtand, or fall with him.
5. Herein was ſoul apoſtacie from God to the Divel: to whom (charging God with lying, envy, malice, &c.) he revolted, and adhered, rather then ſtick to his Maker.
And to theſe might be added many the like circumſtances, which grievouſly aggravate the ſin of our firſt Parents, and make it ſo deadly in effect. For hereby it is, we not onelyonly loſt our bleſſed communion with God; that the Image of God after which they were created, was forthwith aboliſhed, and blotted out: but that many grievous miſeries and puniſhments, came in the room of it: ſo that in the place of wiſdom, power, holineſſe, truth, righteouſneſſe, and the like ornaments, wherewith we had been cloathed: there hath ſucceeded theſe and the like:
1. This their ſin hath filled our whole man with corruption.
2. It hath made us become vaſſals unto ſin and Satan.
3. It hath diſabled us from underſtanding the will, and obſerving the Commandements of the Lord.
4. It cauſed us to loſe our right unto, and ſovereignty over the creatures.
5. It makes our perſons and actions unacceptable to God.
6. It hath caſt us out of Gods favour, and made us liable, and ſubject to all the plagues and miſeries of this life; and to endleſſe, eafleſſe, and reme… dileſſe torments in the life to come.
Sect. IX.
And the reaſon is, Our Firſt Parents being the root of all man-kind; and inſtead of all their poſterrity before they had iſſue: And the covenant being made with them as publick perſons; not for themſelves onelyonly, but for their Poſterity; who were to ſtand, or fall with them: they being left to the freedome of their own wills, in tranſgreſſing the commandment of God by eatting the forbidden fruit, through the temtation of Satan: have made us, and all man-kind deſcending from them by ordinary generation, as guilty of their ſin, as any heir is liable to his Fathers debt. Their act being ours; as the act of a Knight, or Burgeſs in the Parlament Houſe, is the act of the whole County, in whoſe name, and room they ſit, and whom they repreſent: by which means our Nature is ſo corrupted, that we are utterly indiſpoſed and made oppoſite, unto all that is ſpiritually good, and wholly inclined to all evill, and that continually: and have alſo loſt our communion with God, incurred his diſpleaſure and curſe; ſo as we are juſtly liable to all puniſhments, both in this life, and in the life to come.
Now for the fuller confirming and amplifying of what hath been ſaid, touching O…iginal ſin; take onelyonly theſe enſuing Scrirptures, and Aphoriſms, without any needleſſe connexion; that I may be ſo much the briefer.
Sect. X.
Amongſt many others, the moſt pregnant Scriptures for the confirming of this point, I hold to be theſe:
The Fathers have eaten ſowr grapes: and the childrens teeth are ſet an edge, Jer. 31. 20. was a true proverb, though by them abuſed. By one man ſin entered into the world, and death by ſin: and ſo death paſſed upon all men, in whom all have ſinned, Rom. 5. 12. to 21. Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean? not one, Job 14. 4. Sec Chap. 13. 14, 15, 16. We are all at an unclean thing, and all our righteouſneſſes are as filthy rags, Iſa. 64. 6. By the works of the Law, there ſhall no fleſh be juſtified in his ſight, Rom. 3. 20. There is no difference, for all have ſinned, and come ſhort of the glory of God, Rom. 3. 21, 22, 23. And God ſaw that the wickedneſſe of man was greapage missing in the earth; and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was onelyonly evil continually. And it repented the Lord, that he had made man, Geneſis 6. 5, 6. Both Jews and Gentiles are all under ſin: As it is written, therpage missing is none righteous, no not one. There is none that underſtandeth, there is none that ſeekerh after God; They are all gone out of the way, they are altogethepage missing become unprofitable, there is none that doeth good, no not one. Their throat page missing an open ſepulchre. the poiſon of Aſps is under their lips, there is no fear of Gopage missing before their eies, Rom. 3. 9. to 20. Out of the heart proceed evil thoughtpage missing mur…bers, adulteries, fornications, thefts, falſe witneſſe, blasphemies, Mat. 15. 19. ſee Gal. 5. 19, 20, 21. Whence come warrs, and fightings among you? compage missing they not hence? even of your luſts that war in your members, James 4. 1. Unpage missing them that are unbelieving is nothing pure: but even their minde, and conſcienpage missing is defiled, Tit. 1. 15. I ſee another Law in my members, warring againſt thpage missing Law of my minde; and bringing me into captivity to the Law of ſin which is my members, O wretched man that I am, who ſhall deliver me from the body of this death, &c? Rom. 7. 14. to 25. where the Apoſtle ſpeaks all this, and a gret deal more of himſelf; ſee Epheſ. 2. 2, 3. Gal. 3. 10.
Yet how many that g…ieve for their other ſins, who are never troubled for their Original corruption: which ſhould above all be bewailed, even as the mother and nurſe of all the reſt; and thought worthy not of our ſighs alone, but of our tears. For this is the great wheel of the Clock, that ſets all the other wheels a moving, while it ſeems to move ſloweſt. And never did any truly and orderly repent, that began not here: eſteeming it the moſt foul and hateful of all, as David, Pſal 51. 5. And Paul, crying out of it as the moſt ſecret, deceitful, and powerful evil, Rom. 7. 23, 24. And indeed if wee but clearly ſaw the foulneſſe, and deceitfulneſſe of it; we would not ſuffer our eies to ſleep, nor our cye-lids to ſlumber, until a happy charge had wrought theſe hearts of ours (which by nature are no better then ſo many ſtyes of unclean Divels) to become habitations for the God of Jacob.
Sect. XI.
We are the curſed ſeed of rebellious parents; neither need we any more to condemne u…, then what we brought into the world with us. In Adam the root of all, we all ſo ſinned; that if we had no inherent ſin of our own, this imputed ſin of his, were enough to damne us.
Our firſt Parents were the root, we are the branches: if the root be bitter, the branches cannot be better. They were the fountain, wee the ſprings: if the ſountains be filthy, ſo muſt the spangs. Whence it is, that holy David cries out: Behold I was ſhapen in iniquity, and in ſin did my mother conceive me, Pſal 51. 5.
Tantillus puer, tantus peccator, ſaith Saint Auſtin: when a little childe, I was a great ſinner. As in the little and tender bud, is infolded the leaf, the bloſſom, and the fruit; ſo even in the heart of a young child, there is a bundle and pack of folly laid up, as Solomon affirms, Pov. 22. 15. And as Moſes ſpeaks, The thoughts of man's heart are evil: even from his childhood, Gen. 6. 5. & 8. 21.
We brought a world of ſin into the world with us; and were condemned. ſo ſoon as conceived: we were adjudged to eternal death, before we lived a temporal life. As admit thou hadſt never offended, in the leaſt thought, word, or deed all thy life: yea, admit thou couldſt now keep all the Commandements, actually and ſpiritually; yet all this were nothing, it could not keep thee out of Hell: ſince that Original ſin which we drew from the loins of our firſt Parents, is enough to damn us.
Sin and corruption are the riches that we bequeath to our children; rebellion the inheritance that we have purchaſed for them, death the wages that we have procured them. God made us after his own Image; but by ſin we have turned the image of God into the image of Satan: Yea, like Satan we can do nothing elſe but ſin, and make others ſin too, who would not ſo ſin but for us.
As a ſurnace continually ſparkles, as the raging Seafoams and eaſts up mire and diet, and as a filthy dunghill, does continnally reak forth, and evaporate …ous …do…: ſo do our hearts naturally ſtream forth unſavery eructations, unholy luſts and motions, even continually.
As, O the infinitely intricate windings and turnings of the dark labyrinths of man's heart! who finds not in himſelf, an indiſpoſition of mind to all good; and an inclination to all evill? O the ſtrange monſters, the ugly, odious, hidious fiends; the ſwarms, litters, legions of noiſome luſts that are couched in the ſtinking ſties of every one of our decetful hearts! inſomuch that if all our thoughts did but break forth into action, we ſhould not com far ſhort of the Divels themſelvs.
Sect. XII.
And as the healthieſt body is ſubject to the mortalleſt diſeaſe; ſo there is no ſin ſo odious, unto which of our ſelvs we are not ſufficiently inclinable. For Original ſin, in which we are all born and bred; containeth in it ſelf the ſeeds of all ſins; that fearful ſin againſt the Holy Ghoſt it ſelf not excepted.
Such venemous natures we have; that never was there any villany committed by any forlorn miſcreant; whereunto we have not a diſpoſition in our ſelves. Inſomuch that we ought to be humbled, even for thoſe very ſins from which we are in a manner exempt: For that Coins envy, Iſhmaels ſcofing, Rabſh…ka's railing, Shimei's curſing, Senacheribs balſphemy, Doegs murther, Pharaohs cruelty, Sodoms luſt, Judas his treaſon, Julians apoſtacie, &c. are not our ſins, and as much predominant in us, as they were in each of them; it is onelyonly God's free grace and goodneſſe. For all of them ſhould have been thine and my ſins, if God had left us to our ſelves. Lord faith Saint Auſtin, thou luſt forgiven me thoſe ſins which I have done, and thoſe ſins which onelyonly by thy grace I have not done: they were done in our inclination to them, and even that inclination needs God's mercy. If we eſcape temptation, it is his merciemercy; if we ſtand in temptation, it is his merciemercy; if our wills conſent not, it is his merciemercy; if we conſent, and the act be hindered, it is his mercy; if we fall, and riſe again by repentance, all is his mercy.
We cry out of Cain, Judas, Julian, the Sodomites: alas they are but glaſſes to ſee our own faces in: For as in water, face arſwereth to face; ſo doth the heart of man to man. Sayes Solomon Prov. 27. 19. even hating of God, is by the Holy Ghoſt charged upon all men. Rom. 1. 30. John. 15. 23. 24. 25. Wee are all cut out of the ſame piece, and as there is the ſame nature of all Lyons, ſo of all men
There is no part, power, function or faculty, either of our ſouls or bodies, which is not become a ready inſtrument to diſhonour God: our heart is a root of all corruption, a ſeed plot of all ſin; our eyes are eyes of vanity, our ears are ears of folly, our mouthes mouthes of deceit, our hands hands of iniquity; and every part does diſhonour God; which yet would be glorified of him. The underſtanding which was given us to learn virtue, is apt now to apprehend nothing but ſin; the will which was given us to affect righteouſneſſe, is apt now to love nothing but wickedneſſe; the memory which was given us to remember good things, is apt now to keep nothing but evill things &c. For ſin like a ſpreading leaproſie, is ſo grown over us, that from the crown of our heads, to the ſole of our feet; there is nothing whole therein, but wounds, and ſwellings, and ſores full of corruption. To be ſhort, wee are as Trailors, condemned to ſuffer eternall torments in Hell-fire being only repricved for a time.
Sect. XIII.
And ſo much of Originall ſin, which is the pravity, naughtineſs, and corruption of our Nature. Pſal. 51. 5. Now of actuall ſin, which is the tranſgreſſion of Gods law, 1 John. 3. 4. when evill thoughts are conſented unto, and performed in outward deeds. James. 1. 15. Touching which we are to know, and take notice; that
The Law of God is ſpirituall, and therefore requireth, not only outward obedience in word and deed; but alſo inward in mind and heart, and that chiefly: neither doth it forbid onelyonly the committing of outward ſins in word and deed; but alſo all the ſecret corruptions of the mind, and heart. Rom. 7. 13, 14, 15. Matth. 5. 21, 22, 27, 28. 1 John. 3. 15.
Again where any duty is commanded, there the means which tend thereto are enjoyned: and where any vice is forbidden, there the occaſions, provocations, and alurments tending thereto; are alſo forbidden. Again,
It is not enough to do that which is good for ſubſtance; except wee do it well alſo, in regard of circumſtances: as namely, that it flows from a pious and good heart, ſanctified by the holy Ghoſt; and be done in faith, obedience to the word, humility, ſaving knowledg, and ſincere love to God, zeal of his glory, and a deſire to edifie and win others: of which I might give you many examples; as of the Jewes faſting Iſa. 58. 3, to 8. of thoſe reprobates preaching in Chriſts name, and caſting out devills Matth. 7-21, 22, 23. of Cains ſacrificiing. 1 John 3. 12. He offered, and God abhorred; becauſe he cared not for the manner, to do it well; God cared not for his offering, though the act was good. Simon Magus believed, Herod listned, Felix feared, Saul obeyed, Jezabell faſted, the Pha…ſees prayed▪ but becauſe they did not believe ſo, hear ſo, fear ſo, obey ſo, faſt ſo, and pray ſo as God required, and as is before related, they were never the more regarded for what they did. For love is the fountain of obedience, and all externall obedience to God without inward love, is hyppocriſie: whereas Chriſt commends to his diſciples, the care of keeping his commandements aright, as the utmoſt teſtimony of their love unto him, John. 15. 10.
Sect. XIV.
Which being ſo, how oft and how many wayes do we all offend? For if we but narrowly look into our hearts and lives: we ſhall eaſily perceive, that there is not one of thoſe righteous precepts, ſet down Exodus 20. which we have not broken, ten thouſand times, and ten thouſand wayes. Yea O God (may the beſt of us ſay) there is no vein in me, that is not full of the blood of thy Son; whom I have crucifyed and crucifyed again, by multiplying many, and often repeating the ſame ſin…; there is no artery in me, that hath not the ſpirit of errour, the ſpirit of pride, of paſſion, of luſt, the ſpirit of giddineſſe in it; no bone in me, that is not hardened with the cuſtome of ſin, nouriſhed and ſupplied with the marrow of ſin, no ſinews, no ligaments, which do not tye and chain ſin and ſin together. Yea, If we but watch over our own hearts narrowly one day: we ſhall find an army of unclean thoughts and deſires there, perpetually fighting againſt our ſouls. Whereby wee are continually tempted, drawn away, & inticed through our own concupiſcence. As how many temptations come in by thoſe Cink-ports the ſenſes? how many more by Satans injections? preſenting to the affections things abſent from the ſences? but moſt of all by luſt it ſelfe, (a thing not created, yet as quick as thought) tumblieg over a thouſand deſires in one houre: For the devill, and our fleſh meet together every day, and houre; to ingender new ſins, which is the reaſon, our ſins are counted among thoſe things which are infinite: as the hairs of our head, the ſands of the Sea, the ſtars of Heaven.
We are ſwift to all evill, but to all good immoveable; when we do evil, wee do it cheerfully, and quickly, and eaſily; but if we do any good, wee do it faintly, and rawly, and ſlackly. We have uſed all our wiſedome, to commit the fooliſhneſs of ſin; our whole converſation hath been to ſerve Satan, and fulfill the luſts of the fleſh. We even ſuck in iniquity like water, and draw on ſin as it were with cart-ropes: Iſai. 5. 18. It hath been the courſe of our whole life, to leave that which God commands, and to do that which he forbids. The Word and Spirit may work in us ſome flaſhes of deſire, and purpoſes of better obedience: but we are conſtant in nothing, but perpetuall offending; onelyonly therein we ceaſe not: for when we are waking, our fleſh tempts us to wickedneſſe; if wee are ſleeping, it ſollicits us to filthineſſe.
What ever God commands, we do the contrary: We prophane his daies, contemne his Ordinances, reſiſt his Word, grieve his Spirit, miſuſe his meſſengers, hate our reprovers, ſlander and perſecute his people, ſeduce our friends, give ill example to our neighborurs, open the mouths of God's, and our enemi…s, to blaſpheme that glorious Name after which we are called, and the truth we profeſſe. Yea, we have done more againſt God in one week, then we have done for him ever ſince we were born: and whereas the leaſt of Gods mercies, is greater then all the courteſies of men: we are not ſo thankful to him for them all, as we are to a friend for ſome one good turn.
Sect. XV.
Neither are we ſufficient of our ſelves to think, much leſſe to ſpeak, leaſt of all to do ought that is good, 2 Cor. 3. 5. Joh. 15. 4, 5. There is ſo much weariſomneſſe, pride, paſſion, luſt, envy, ignorance, awkwardneſſe, hypocriſie, infidelitie, vain thoughts, unprofitableneſſe, and the like; cleaving to our beſt actions to defile them: that even our praying, and faſting, and repenting; our hearing, believing, and giving; our holieſt communication our moſt brotherly admonition, &c. are in themſelves as filthy raggs, Iſa. 64. 6. were they not accepted in Chriſt, covered with his righteouſneſſe, and waſhed white in his moſt pretious blood.
Our very righteouſneſſe is as a menſtruous cloth, Iſa. 64. 6. What then is our ſinfulneſſe? As bring we our lives to the rule; Look how many ſins are cheriſhed, ſo many falſe gods there are choſen. Look how many creatures thou inordinately loveſt, fearest, truſteſt, rejoiceſt in; ſo many new gods haſt thou coined: and wilt thou not th…n plead guilty, when the firſt and ſecond Commandement arraigneth thee?
Thou canſt not away with ſwearing; but do'ſt thou reprove others for their ſwearing? Didſt thou never hear Sermons unpreparedly, irreverently, &c? Does thy heart upon a Sabbath reſt from wordly thoughts? much more thy tongue from worldly ſpeeches? There is murther of the heart, hatred: Haſt not thou murthered thy Neighbours ſoul, by thy negligence, perſwaſion, evil example, &c. Thou haſt not ſtolne, but haſt thou not coveted? Haſt thou been liberal to thoſe that are owners of a part of thy goods? haſt thou not robb'd thy brother of his good name? which is above ſilver and gold. Haſt thou not robb'd God of his worſhip? of his Sabbaths? of his Tythes, &c. Lying, flattering, detracting, liſtning to tales; yea not defending thy brothers good name, is to bear falſe witneſſe.
Haſt thou kept the Tenth Commandement? which condemns the very first motions of ſins, ſpringing out of our hearts, though preſently rejected; and a thouſand the like: and yet for every drop of wickedneſſe that is in the life, there is a ſea in the heart that feeds it.