Gods Husbandry, Sermon 2 · Chapter 10
CHAP. X. Containing the fourth and laſt vſe of the poynt, viz. a conſolation to the people of God againſt their vnallowed finnes.
BVt moreouer, Vſe 4 this poynt wee hauehave ſpoken of,Comfort to Gods people againſt the ſinnes which they feele and diſallow. though it ſeeme at firſt hearing to be altogether vncomfortable, doth yet affoord a ſure and needfull comfort vntounto the ſeruants of God, that hauehave wiſedome to apply it the right way. For why, it followes hence neceſſarily, that the branches in this Vine ſhould not be appalled nor out of heart, becauſe they are continually troubled with the feeling of many things amiſſe, which it were farre more deſireable to hauehave lopped off, then continue vponupon them. Heere is cauſe not of not being humbled, but of not being diſcouraged in the ſenfe and feeling of our manifold corruptions. For it is ſure, a man may be a lining and a fruitfull branch, and yet ſtand in great need of much pruning. It doth often ariſe in the hearts of the trueſt of Gods people, as an argument againſt their truth, that they hauehave ſo many ſinnes ſtill ſtirring in them, and that they doe daily tranſgreſſe ſo many waies, and oftentimes in very high degrees, and groſſe kinds.
Now if we had well conſulted with the Saints of God that liued in former times, and of whoſe liues the holy Scriptures doe giuegive vsus a map or abridgement, we ſhould eaſily perceiue that there were no force at all in this argument, vnleſſe in ſo ſpeaking, we will offend againſt the generation of Gods children, as the Pſalmiſt ſpeaketh in another caſe. For what reaſon were ſtrong and good againſt me, or any of you that now liue, the ſame had been alſo firme and ſtrong againſt many of thoſe that were members of the Church in former times; and if the Scriptures doe aſſure vsus of their being dearly beloued of God, and ſurely ingraffed into Chriſt, euen at the ſelfe ſame time when they did complaine of like corruptions to thoſe that wee now doe complaine of: then we may ſafely collect hence, that wee alſo are in Chriſt, and in the fauour of God, notwithſtanding that wee cannot deny our ſelues to bee polluted with ſuch euils. Wherefore if you will truly conclude of your ſelues in this behalſe, whether you be, or be not in Chriſt: you muſt not look ſo much only to what corruptions you hauehave, as to what you allow. For true grace may ſtand with the hauing of many, but not with the allowing of any. He that excuſeth, extenuateth, makes light of any ſinne at all, and thinkes he needs not greatly care for leauing off that, becauſe it is ſo ſmall a matter, and becauſe hee is perſwaded that there is neuer a man aliue but doth as bad; and therefore beares himſelfe boldly vponupon Gods miſapplyed mercy, that he ſhall doe well enough for all that he allowes ſinne; hee giues it liberty and licence, and yeelds himſelfe to the dominion of ſinne, and this man is not a liuing member of Chriſts body, nor a fruitfull branch of this Vine. Let him by no meanes beguile himſelfe, nor ſuffer any formes of ſeeming goodneſſe that hee hath in other things, to make him conceiue well of himſelfe; he is doubtleſſe an halter, and Chriſt Ieſus will reiect him at laſt. But he that hath many ſinnes, ſees them, acknowledgeth them to God, hath his ſoule troubled at them, and deſireth, rather then his life, to be freed of them, and becomes exceeding baſe in his owne feeling, becauſe of them, ſtill caſting himſelfe vponupon Gods gracious and free fauour in Chriſt for pardon of them, may be, and is a fruitfull branch, though he hauehave a thouſand ſinnes of infirmitie in him; yea though he be ouercome of tentation to commit the ſame ſinne againe and againe.
Let not the diuell abuſe any of you, to make him leſſe carefull of lamenting, and oppoſing, and being humbled vnderunder his ſinnes, becauſe he heares he may be a good Chriſtian, and partake of the benefits of Chriſt for all them: for in ſo abuſing this comfort, you ſhall make your ſelues vncapable of this comfort, becauſe it belongeth alone to thoſe that ſo hauehave ſinned, as they bee troubled, vexed and diſquieted with it, as with the breaking of a leg or arme, and do euen make haſte to the binding of their ſoules vp againe, by the renewing of their repentance. Indeed the Hypocrite, if he can once get a conceit faſtened in him, that though he doe commit ſuch a ſinne, yet he may goe to heauen well enough for all that, he thinketh himſelf ſafe, and is little careful to oppoſe or bewaile that ſinne, which hee conceits will not damne him: but the true Chriſtian will be no whit leſſe carefull to frame himſelfe to mourning for ſinne, and to take paines againſt it, becauſe he is ſecured for the matter of damnation. For the thing, in regard of which he doth hate ſinne, and would faine bee rid of it, is neither onelyonly, nor chiefly this, that it is like enough to bring his ſoule to hell: but this alſo, yea this chiefly, that it is offenſiue to God, and diſpleaſeth his louing Father, and makes him vnable to hold ſuch familiar and friendly ſociety with God, as elſe he might hauehave. So that the miſapplying of this conſolation, to nouriſh ſecurity, preſumption and boldneſſe in ſinning, is a ſore ſigne of a man that is farre enough off from any truth: wherefore, we deſire that none of you ſhould ſo abuſe the ſweet comforts of Gods Word. But make the right and true vſe of this comfort, and lay it like a good plaiſter diſcreetly and ſeaſonably to thy wounded ſoule; and when thy doubting heart, by Satans crafty prompting ſhall tell, that thou art none of Gods, becauſe of ſuch and ſuch faults that thou haſt committed, and doſt often fall into, (and that to this end, that thereby he may cauſe thee to giuegive ouer all hope, and caſt off all care of praying to God, and humbling thy ſoule in confeſſion, and ſuing for pardon in Chriſt, and ſo to frame thee either to vtter deſperation or vtter looſeneſſe, one of which things muſt neceſſarily-follow vponupon the beleeuing of that concluſion:) When, I ſay, Satan is buſie thus to turne thy ſinnes to the ouerthrow of thy faith, and to the turning thee quite out of the way of godlineſſe and peace: now anſwere by the ſeaſonable remembring, and due applying of the preſent poynt, No no. O mine vnbeleeuing heart! I am full of ſinnes, but I confeſſe them, and am troubled with them. I fall often, but I euer riſe, and euer reſolue to riſe to goe to the Lord; and acknowledge, and ſtriue to bewaile them, and to craue and beg his helpe againſt them more and more earneſtly. Wherfore I am ſure that thoſe ſinnes cannot diſproue my being a true Chriſtian and a child of God: and therefore I will both call vponupon him, and ſtay vponupon him, and reſoluing ſtill to ſtriue to bee more free from ſinne, will reſt vponupon Chriſt, for what I cannot but acknowledge to bee wanting in my ſelfe. To ſee our ſinnes, ſo as to grow vile in our owne eyes, and more and more contemptible in our owne account, and more and more to labour to hauehave our ſoules contrite and broken for them; this is a good ſight of them, and we muſt be perſwaded to it: but to ſee them, ſo as to giuegive ouer hoping in Gods mercy for their pardon, and labouring againſt them in his ſtrength, becauſe our often foyles and failings do make vsus conclude, it is in vaine: this is no way allowable. As good ſcald as burnt, the Prouer be ſaith: As good not ſee our ſinnes at all, as make ſo bad an vſe of the ſight of them. But now, O all ye that are fruitfull branches, keepe faſt your title and intereſt into that name, and let not your many ſuperfluities (ſo long as you finde them in pruning and cutting off) make you deeme your ſelues vncapable of that honour.