The Works of Jeremiah Burroughs 8, Part 2

The Works of Jeremiah Burroughs 8 · Part 2

p. 139THE SECOND PART OF THIS TREATISE.

Sin is moſt oppoſite to Mans Good; and far more oppoſite to the Good of man than Affliction.

IT may be by all that hath been ſaid of Sins being againſt God, the hearts of ſome (at leaſt) may not be ſo much as turned: therefore now we come to ſhew how ſin is againſt the Good of Man; not only againſt God, but againſt our ſelves. Certainly Brethren, Sin makes the Sinner to be in an evil caſe: from that which hath been ſaid we may conclude, That of a truth a ſinner, a wicked man or woman muſt needs be in an evil caſe. This is the Subject which I am to open, What an evil caſe ſin brings our ſelves into: and thereby we ſhall ſee that ſin p. 140is a greater Evil than Affliction. Though we have ſpent divers Exerciſes upon this, yet it is as various as if we had ſeveral Texts. Now this is the Argument to demonſtrate, That a ſinner doth not only diſhonor and ſtrike at God; but ſin is againſt his own ſoul, againſt his own life, againſt his own peace and comfort, againſt his own happineſs; he doth undo himſelf by ſin. This is that which I am now to declare to you; and for the opening of this, divers Particulars offer themſelves to be handled.

CHAP. XXIV.

Firſt, Sin make a man evil, but no affliction can make him ſo: 1 Thoſe that are in affliction are not the worſe, 2 But thoſe that are wicked are vile perſons, though they be the greateſt Princes.

FIrſt, more Generally thus, Sin is againſt Man more than any Affliction. For,

Firſt, Sin makes a man to be evil: no Affliction makes him to be evil but only Sin: I beſeech you obſerve it, a man or woman is not a worſe man or woman becauſe afflicted, not worſe than they were before; but ſin makes the man or the woman to be worſe: and there is a great deal in this to ſhew the evil of ſin to be beyond the evil of affliction. Take a man that is never ſo ſorely afflicted, ſuppoſe the affliction to be as p. 141grievous as the afflictions of Job, ſuppoſe a man ſcraping off his Sores upon the dunghil as Job did, this Affliction makes him not a worſe man than he was before; only it may occaſion ſin ſomtimes, and ſo make him worſe: but take Job, conſidered in his afflictions only, and he was not a worſe man than in the greateſt proſperity, when the Candle of the Lord ſhined upon him, and all his parts, only it occaſioned ſome ſin in Job, otherwiſe he had not been the worſe; and in concluſion he was not the worſe, for as it occaſioned ſome ſin, ſo it ſtirred up a great deal of grace; as the Apoſtle ſaith 1 Cor. 8. 8, 9. For neither if we eat, are we the better; neither if we eat not, are we the worſe: So I may ſay of all outward things in the world: If a man have riches, it makes him not the better; if he be in poverty, it makes him not the worſe: if he have honor, he is not better; if diſgrace, he is not worſe, his condition may be worſe, but himſelf not at all the worſe: Therfore you ſhall obſerve it, that when the Scriptures ſpeaks of Gods people afflicted, yet it ſpeaks of them as moſt honorable, and in a moſt excellent condition notwithſtanding their afflictions: but when it ſpeaks of ſome in great proſperity, but wicked, it ſpeaks of them as moſt contemptible and vile. I will give you an example of each, the moſt remarkable in all the Book of God.

1 Thoſe that are moſt ſorely afflicted, yet to ſhew that they are not the worſe for their afflictions, ſee the 11. Heb. 36, 37, 38. verſes; I ſuppoſe you that are acquainted with the Word of God, know the p. 142ſtory, that the Chriſtians went up and down the world in Sheep Skins and Goats Skins, Perſecuted and afflicted, and dwelling in the Caves of the Earth; they had tryals of cruel mockings, and ſcourgings; yea, moreover, of bands, and impriſonment: they were ſtoned, they were ſawn aſunder, were tempted, were ſlain with the ſword; they wandered about in ſheep skins and goat skins, being deſtitute, afflicted, tormented. What can be ſaid be more of affliction? if affliction can make a man miſerable, ſurely theſe muſt needs be miſerable: They were mocked and ſlouted, and made the off-ſcouring of the World; driven from houſe and home, and went in ſheep ſkins and goat ſkins: many think themſelves miſerable if they cannot go fine and brave; theſe went in ſheep ſkins and goat ſkins, and were ſawen aſunder, miſerably tormented and afflicted: It may be ſome will ſay, certainly theſe were in a moſt miſerable condition: now mark the next words of the holy Ghoſt, Of whom the world was not worthy: they were under ſuch ſore afflictions, and yet they were ſuch excellent perſons as the world was not worthy of them in their worſt condition, they were ſo excellent that the world was not worthy of them: They were thought to be ſuch as were not worthy to live in the world, thus the evil world thought of them; but mark the difference of the Judgment of God from the Judgment of the World; the World thinks they are ſo vile that they are not worthy to live in the World; and God thinks they are ſo excellent that the World is not worthy that they ſhould live amongſt them. p. 143I remember Chryſoſtom hath this upon it, That they were ſo excellent, as all the men in the world were not worth one of them; put all the other men in the world together, and they were not worth ſo much as (at leaſt) a few of theſe afflicted, perſecuted, tormented Chriſtians: as if he ſhould ſay, do you ſee a company of poor Creatures walking in ſheep ſkins and goat ſkins, and live in caves and dens of the Earth; look upon them, and take all the men of the World, Kings, Princes, and Monarchs, rich men, and mighty Captains of the World, all other men, and put them all together, they are not all worth theſe few poor Creatures that go up and down in ſheep ſkins and goat ſkins. Thus afflictions make not a man a pin the worſe: Man he is exceeding glorious in Gods eyes notwithſtanding Afflictions.

2 But now ſecondly, Come to Sin, let there be Sin, although a man have never ſo much outward proſterity and glory in the world, he is a moſt vile abominable Creature, when ſinful. See one famous example for this parallel to this on the other ſide, in the Propheſie of Daniel, 11. Dan. verſe 2. And there ſhall ſtand up a VILE Perſon: Now who is this Vile Perſon that the holy Ghoſt ſpeaks of? It is according to Interpreters Antiochus Epiphanus, the great King of Aſſyria; and his very name ſignifies Illuſtrious, ſo the word Epiphanus ſignifies, Illuſtrious, Famous, Glorious; ſo that he hath theſe two Titles, the great King of Aſſyria, and the great King, Famous, Illuſtrious, Glorious. And Joſephus writing of this man, hath this ſtory, p. 144That the Samaritans when they ſaw how he perſecuted the Jews, they ſought his favor, and would not own themſelves Jews; and they writ to Antiochus the mighty God, this was their Title in a Letter they ſent to him, Antiochus the mighty God: Well, now ſee here is one that hath outward glory enough; the great King of Aſſyria; Antiochus, Famous, Illuſtrious, that hath the Title of the mighty God; but now becauſe he is a wicked man, the Scripture ſaith, there ſhall a vile Perſon ariſe; a vile Perſon notwithſtanding his greatneſs; let him be never ſo glorious a King, and called the mighty God, yet a vile Perſon. I beſeech you in your thoughts put theſe two Scriptures together, theſe that go up and down in ſheep ſkins and goat ſkins, are ſuch that the World is not worthy of; and Antiochus the gloriouſeſt King in the World, in Gods Judgment is a vile Perſon. Thus you ſee Afflictions make not a man worſe, but under them he may be as good as he was before; and proſperity makes not a man better, but he may be as vile in proſperity as he was before: therfore though a man may have his Eſtate encreaſe, and his Eſtate bettered, yet he is not better: We ſpeak of ſuch or ſuch, Oh he is the beſt man in the Pariſh, or the beſt man in the Town: What do you mean by that? Oh he hath ſo much by the year, and ſo great a ſtock at Sea, he is Owner of Ships, and hath part of ſo many Ships; and he is a great man, worth ſo much: true, his Eſtate is worth ſomthing, but he (if he be a wicked man) is worth nothing: In the mean time, p. 145Oh he is worth ſo much: Yea, but you are deceived, his Mony or his Land is worth ſo much, or his Ships are worth ſo much, but he is worth nothing himſelf: therfore the Scripture ſpeaks of the wicked, Prov, 10. 20. The heart of the wicked is little worth: Now the Heart of a man, that is his Soul, and that is the man; the Mind of a man, is the man; the Spirit, that is the man: now the heart of the wicked is little worth; his houſe and his Land may be worth ſomthing, but the heart of the wicked, he himſelf, is worth nothing. So that Sin makes a man an evil man, but Afflictions doth not make him Evil: therefore Sin is more againſt the good of a Man, than Afflictions poſſibly can be. This is the firſt.

CHAP. XXV.

Secondly, Sin is more oppoſite to the Good of man than Afflictions, becauſe moſt oppoſite to the Image of God in man: three Particulars inſtanced, and a Queſtion reſolved.

SEecondly, This will come more cloſe, and particularly to demonſtrate it more plainly to you, how that Sin is more againſt the good of a man, than ever Afflictions and troubles can be; Becauſe ſin is moſt againſt the Image of God in man, moſt oppoſite unto the Image of God in man, it defaceth that Image: therefore it muſt p. 146needs be a greater evil than Afflictions: For Brethren, of all Creatures in the world that God made, Angels and Men were the only Creatures that God ſtamped his Image upon; for as it is with Princes, they uſe not to ſtamp their Image (if they be glorious magnificent Princes they uſe not to ſtamp their Image) upon Braſs, or Copper, or Leather, upon baſe Mettals, but upon pure Mettals, Gold or Silver; and it is a ſign the State grows low, when the Kings Image muſt be ſtamped upon lower Mettals: So here, God would have his Image ſtamped upon ſome of his Creatures; now he would not take the loweſt meaneſt Creatures, but God takes the moſt excellent Creatures, as I may ſo ſay, Gold and Silver; the Angels I may compare to Gold, and the Children of Men to Silver; and God makes the ſame Image (as the ſame Image that is upon the Gold, is upon the Silver) God makes the ſame upon Man that is upon the Angels: the ſame Image of God that makes the Angels glorious Creatures, doth make Man kind to be glorious too in the ſame Image; and our Natures be capable of the very ſame Image of God that the Angels themſelves have; and this is the excellency of Man-kind. Now it is needful to ſhew the excellency of Gods Image in man, that ſo I may ſhew you the evil of Sin; in that it defaceth ſuch an excellency of man, and therfore it is more againſt the good of man than any affliction can be.

1 Now the Image of God in Man is a glorious excellency, for it is that whereby men come to p. 147reſemble God in his higheſt excellency; it is not a likeneſs unto God in ſome inferior thing; for though it be true, all in God is alike glorious, yet to our apprehenſions ſome things appear more glorious than other: now the Image of God in Man, is that whereby Man reſembles God in that which doth appear to be the higheſt Excellency in God himſelf. For as in an Image or Picture of a Man; when I draw the Image of a Man, I draw not the reſemblance of a Man in in ſome inferior thing, but I labor to draw the lively countenance; in that is the greateſt excellency of a man. And ſo in the Image of God, now the Image of God is the Holineſs of God, and ſo in mans ſoul the impreſſion of Gods own Holineſs, that is the Image of God in man; and by that, man comes to reſemble God in the top of his glory and excellency. Now this muſt needs be glorious for the Creature to come ſo neer unto God as is poſſible for the Creature; for there is no excellency any Creature is capable of, higher than the Image of God, only that Hypoſtatical union of the two Natures.

2 Upon this God muſt needs take an infinite delight in looking upon the ſouls of the Children of men; as you know a man takes delight in looking upon his own Image where ever he ſeeth it: ſo God takes delight in looking upon his own Image; there is nothing in all the world can take the Eye of God ſo much as looking upon Angels and the Souls of men, and God ſees the very ſame thing in the ſouls of men as he did in his Angels. The moſt glorious p. 148object God hath to behold, is to behold himſelf in the Creature; the more God ſeeth of himſelf in any Creature, the more delight muſt he needs take in viewing and looking upon that Creature. Now no Creature in this inferior world had ſo much of Gods work in it as Man-kind had, having the Image of God.

3 Hence it follows, That all the Creatures in the world were brought under the Dominion of Man to be ſerviceable unto Man; why? Becauſe he had ſo much of the Image of God in him: upon that all Creatures in the world were to lie under his feet, to be perfectly ſubject to the Dominion of Man. Now if the Image of God be ſuch a glorious thing as it is, then what would you ſay of that which doth deface this Image? that muſt needs be an evil thing, and do much to the hurt of man that ſhall deface ſuch an ezcellency as this is. Now certainly ſin doth ſo; ſin doth caſt dirt into this Image of God, and doth deface it: and therefore in the 3. Col 10. the Apoſtle there ſpeaking of renewing grace, ſanctifying grace, it is ſaid, by it we come to have the Image of God renewed: by grace; then it is apparent, by ſin the Image of God is defaced. Now Prethren, if a man did take delight in a curious piece, as there be ſome men that will give five hundred pounds, a thouſand pounds for ſome curious thing drawn with Art: ſuppoſe ſuch a one that prizeth ſuch a piece, and there ſhould come one and quite deface it; would he not account this a great evil, and his heart riſe againſt him? Thus it is in this caſe, p. 149the Image of God in the ſoul of man, is the curiouſeſt piece that ever was drawn in the world by the finger of Gods Spirit; all Creatures in Heaven and Earth could never draw ſuch a piece, but ſin defaceth it; nay, ſuch is the evil of ſin, that one ſin is enough quite to deface, and take away the Image of God: As we know in Adam, that was made according to the Image of God, one ſin quite defaced the Image of God: As we account a Houſe quite defaced and demoliſhed, though here and there a little rubbiſh and ſtones remain: as in your Monaſteries or Abbies that are demoliſhed, though there be a few ſtones and rubbiſh left, yet the Houſe is demoliſhed. So all that is left in Man of Gods Image, is but as the little rubbiſh of ſuch a houſe left after its demoliſhing; yea, that which is left, according to the Opinion of many of the Learned, is not a remainder of the Image of God in man that he had at firſt Creation; but rather a ſmal pittance of ſome common gifts of Gods Spirit: For many wiſe and godly men hold that the remainders of that which we uſually conceive to be the ruines and remainders of Gods Image ſince the Fall, is not the remainders of what is left, but that which God (for ſocietie ſake in the world, and that he may have a Church in the world) was pleaſed by ſome givings out of his Spirit to renew ſomwhat in thoſe that ſhall not be ſaved; and ſo they come to have ſome light of knowledg even by Jeſus Chriſt himſelf, Chriſt enlightens every man that comes▪ into the world, ſaith the Scripture; that is, p. 150if a man have common light, Chriſt enlightens that man; if a man have ſaving light, Chriſt enlightens that man with ſaving light: ſo that the Image of God was quite defaced by one ſin. Oh the evil and venom of ſin, that one ſin quite takes away the Image of God.

Queſt. But you will ſay, Why is it not ſo now, for in the Regenerate, there is the Image of God in part renewed in them, and yet they commit many ſins? how comes it to paſs ſin quite defaceth not the Image of God in thoſe Regenerate, that have it not perfectly, as well as the Image of God in man that had it perfectly at firſt?

Anſw. To this I anſwer: This is not from a any reaſon of want of malignity in ſin, for ſin would do it; but becauſe of the ſtrength that is in the Covenant of Grace, that God hath made in Chriſt, hence God preſerveth his Image in thoſe that be Regenerate, notwithſtanding they commit many ſins: and it is a demonſtration of the infinite power of God, that notwithſtanding there is ſo many ſins in thoſe Regenerate, that yet there ſhould be preſerved the Image of God in man, which was not in Adam: Becauſe God entred not into ſuch a gracious Covenant with Adam to preſerve him, therefore God leaving Adam to a common courſe of Providence, and had to do with him in a Covenant of works, therfore God leavs that for ſin to do in him, that it ſhould not in us. But now there is more ſtrength in the Covenant of Grace, and therefore it is, that 'tis not every ſin we commit that doth deface the Image of God: but this is no p. 151thank to ſin, nor doth it argue the leſs evil in ſin. But be it known unto you that be ſanctified, when you give liberty to ſin, there is this in it, that in its own Nature it would quite take away all the Image of God renewed in you: And certainly thofe that underſtand what a bleſſing there is in this, to have Gods Image renewed in them, cannot but ſee that there is greater evil in ſin than in any thing in the world; that I ſhould commit that which in its own Nature would quite deface the whol Image of God in me. And this is the ſecond Argument to declare the evil of ſin againſt mans good.

CHAP. XXVI.

Thirdly, Sin is oppoſite to the Life of God in Man.

A Third Particular to diſcover the evil of Sin as oppoſite to mans good is this, Becauſe ſin is oppoſite to the Life of God in Man. Before I ſhewed ſin ſtrikes at the Life of God in Himſelf: now I am to ſhew you how ſin ſtrikes at the Life of God in Mans Soul: For Brethren, certainly this is the happineſs of the Children of men above other Creatures, that God did make them to be of ſuch a Nature that they ſhould live that life the Lord himſelf lived, in a kind; and ſo the Scripture is very plain, Epheſ. 4. 18 the text ſaith there, That they were alienated from p. 252the life of God through the darkneſs of their minds: it was the ſinfulneſs of their hearts that did alienate them from the life of God; therefore it is apparent that they were capable of the life of God; and the life of God is the excellency of the Children of men: now the ſin of their hearts alienated them from the life of God.

Queſt. Now you will ſay, What do you mean when you ſpeak of the Life of God, and that the Soul of Man is capable of the Life of God, and ſhew how ſin is oppoſite to God? Certainly if I ſhould come and tell you of the flames of Hell, and torments of Hell due to ſin, perhaps I might ſcare ſome more that way: but for thoſe that have any underſtanding, and truly know the excellency of man, their hearts will more riſe upon the opening of this, than if I ſhould ſpend many Sermons to open the torments of Hell to you: well then, what is this Life of God?

Anſw. 1. That everlaſting Principle of grace in the ſouls of men united unto Chriſt by his Spirit, whereby men come to act and work as God doth act, and as God doth work for his own glory as the utmoſt end. As life is a Principle whereby the Creature moves within himſelf unto perfection, unto that which tends to perfection; an active Principle within it ſelf to move towards perfection, that we account life. Now that Principle whereby a man ſhall come to move and work juſt as God moves and works (ſtill ſpeaking after the manner of man) that is, to have the likeneſs of God; not in the very ſame thing, but the ſame in proportion of likeneſs, p. 253as the Creature is capable of: How is that you will ſay? Thus; This is the Life of God (ſo far as we can conceive of him) that God is a continual act alwaies working for himſelf, and willing of himſelf as the laſt end of all: the very Life of God conſiſts in that, and in that conſiſts the nature of Holineſs. Now then when a man hath ſuch a Principle within him as that he can work unto God, as his laſt and higheſt end, and obey God as his chiefeſt good, he works as God himſelf doth. Now Brethren, this is the Life of God that the Children of men be capable of above all other Creatures; and it is this that makes them fit to converſe with God himſelf; I ſay, it is that which makes the children of men to be fit to converſe with that infinite, glorious, eternal firſt-Being of all things: and here is the happineſs of man, That he is of that Nature that he is capable of this excellency, to have to do with the infinite eternal firſt-Being: For many know no more excellency than to converſe with meat and drink; that Swine, and Dogs, and other Peaſts do: but know, you be of more Noble Natures than ſo; God hath made the meaneſt and pooreſt in this Congregation, God hath made you of ſo Noble a Nature, that you may come to converſe with the infinite, glorious, firſt-Being of all things. As we know the excellency of men, that which puts a difference between man and man is this; that this man that lives in a mean condition, their meanneſs conſiſts in this, that they ſpend all their daies in converſe with bruit Beaſts, and turning the p. 254clods of the Earth; but Noble and great men are buſied in State Affairs, they be raiſed higher becauſe they converſe with Princes, and great Affairs of State; the things they converſe about are higher, and therefore they are more noble and higher than other men. As ſome children of men know no other excellency than to eat and drink, and play, and be filthy, and have nothing but that which the Beaſts have: but others, to whom God hath revealed himſelf, and hath made them of ſuch a noble Nature, that when others be in baſe acts of uncleanneſs, that know no other way of rejoycing in time of Joy, but laughing, and eating and drinking, and filthineſs: but others can get alone, and there contemplate of the glory of the great God, and their ſouls be opened to God, and God lets in beams of himſelf to them, and they let out beams of their love to God, and their deſires to God, there is an intercourſe between Heaven and them; God opens himſelf to them, and they open their ſouls to God, and ſo enjoy communion from God; and they becauſe they have the Life of God in them, they be fit to converſe with God: For mark, thoſe things that converſe one with another, they be ſuch things that muſt live the ſame life; as now, man can converſe with man; why? becauſe he lives the ſame life that man lives: but man is not ſo fit to converſe with beaſts, becauſe they live not the ſame life; though ſome men live even the very life of beaſts: as a beaſt cannot converſe with plants (but only devours them) becauſe they live not p. 255the ſame life; but thoſe that live the ſame life be fitteſt for converſe. So if man did not live the ſame life God doth, he could not converſe with God: Hence wicked and ungodly men cannot converſe with God, becauſe they live not the ſame life of God: When you talk of converſing with God, it is a riddle to many men; why? becauſe they are ſtrangers to the Life of God, they have nothing of the Life of God in them, but it is ſtrange to them; therfore they cannot converſe with God. But now that which ſtrikes at this Life, and is the death of the ſoul, is ſin (for ſin is the death of the Soul) therefore Epheſ. 2. beginning, You be dead in treſpaſſes and ſins, ſin brings death; he means not a bodily death, though that be a truth, but there is this death, the Life of God is gone: all men by nature have the Life of God gone; and if ever it be renewed, it is by a mighty work of Gods Spirit: but ſin ſtrikes at the Life of God in us, at this Candle of the Lord in this Earthen Pitcher.

2 Again, The excellency of the Life of God will conſiſt in this, as to make a man converſe with him, ſo in this, That God muſt needs take infinite delight in the ſouls of thoſe that live his life: as before in looking upon his Image, now much more when he can ſee his Creatures work as he himſelf works: this is the delight of God to ſee his Creatures work juſt as himſelf. As a man takes delight to ſee his Pictute, but abundantly more to look upon himſelf in his Child, and to ſee his life in his Child that comes from him, to p. 256ſee it able to work as he works. As ſuppoſe any Artificer, or one ſkilled in Navigation, ſuppoſe he ſee a Picture drawn of Navigation, he takes delight in that becauſe there is ſomthing of himſelf in it; but now ſuppoſe he hath a Child, and he puts ſkill into him and he ſeeth him work as he works, and diſcourſe about Naval Affairs as he diſcourſeth; this is wonderfully delightful to him. So when God ſhall ſee the ſame life in his Creature that is in himſelf, that he works and wills as he doth, this takes the very heart of God; and this ſhews the excellency of grace. But ſin is that which ſtrikes at this Life of God, and brings death to the ſoul, wholly takes away this life: and were it not for the Covenant of grace even one ſin would take away this Image of God; for ſin did it in Adam, and ſo would in the Regenerate, if it were not for the Covenant of grace. My Brethren, Life is the moſt excellent of any thing: as Auguſtine ſaith, The life of a Fly is more excellent than the Sun (it is his expreſſion, not mine) becauſe the Sun though an excellent Creature, hath not life, but a Fly, though little, yet it hath life; though we know little of it▪ yet it ſhews the excellency of God to make a living Creature: but if the life of a Fly, or a Beaſt be ſo excellent, much more the life of Man. Now then, what is the life of God! now if that be evil which ſtrikes at the natural life of the Body, the life of Man; we account thoſe Diſeaſes moſt grievous that are mortal; as if a man have a Diſeaſe only painful, this is not ſo much if they be painful if not mortal, p. 257as thoſe that be mortal. If a Phyſitian come and tell one, you muſt endure pain, but be of good cheer, your life is ſure; this comforts him: but take a Diſeaſe that he feels no pain of, it may be the ſence of pain is gone, but if the Phyſitian come and tell him, Oh you be dangerouſly ill, becauſe your diſtemper is like to prove mortal: we account that without pain that ſtrikes at life, more than that with a great deal of pain that doth not ſtrike at life: Skin for skin, and all that a man hath will he give for his life. Now that which ſtrikes at the higheſt life, even the life of God, and makes the Creature appear ſo vile before God, as certainly ſin makes the Creature more vile than any dead Carrion that lies ſtinking in a ditch; ſin is more vile in Gods eyes than any dead Dog on the Dunghil is in your Eyes. This is the third Particular, How ſin is moſt oppoſite to mans good more than affliction; therefore a man were better bear the greateſt affliction, than commit the leaſt ſin, becauſe affliction never ſtrikes at the life of God: nay, many live not the life of God ſo gloriouſly as they do in affliction; many ſeem to have their hearts dead in times of proſperity, but when afflictions come then they manifeſt a glorious life of God.

p. 258CHAP. XXVII.

Fourthly, Sin is oppoſite to mans good, becauſe it is moſt oppoſite to the laſt end for which man was made.

A Fourth thing wherein the evil of ſin conſiſts as moſt oppoſite to mans good is this, Becauſe it lies moſt oppoſite to the laſt end for which man was made. In that other paſſage I opened before, I ſhewed how ſin oppoſeth God in his own end, & therfore there was a great deal of evil in ſin: But now I muſt ſhew how ſin oppoſeth Man in that end God made man for. I am afraid ſome of theſe things are ſuch that ſome cannot go along with me in them; it is my endeavor to make things (though ſpiritual, and above our natural reach, to make them) as low as I can: but if there be ſome that do not underſtand, I hope others do, and ſuch (I hope) will make uſe of what I ſpeak. For certainly theſe things I ſpeak of do more declare the evil of ſin, and will keep an ingenuous ſpirit more from ſin, than all the evils and torments of Hell. It is more againſt mans laſt End. Now we uſe to ſay the end and the good of a thing is the ſame: That which is the laſt end is better than the thing it ſelf, therfore whatſoever ſtrikes at the laſt end is the greateſt evil of all. That is the p. 259happineſs of any Creature to enjoy its laſt end: As thus, The greateſt good or the laſt end of a Plant or a Tree is to flouriſh and bear fruit, and be ſitted for the ſervice of man, this is its end. And what is the evil of a Tree? When it comes to flouriſh, and when fruit hangs full upon it, if it be blaſted, and never come to attain to its utmoſt end, to be ſerviceable for that for which it was appointed; that is the evil of it. And we account it a great evil if we ſee this flouriſhing Tree when it is full of fruit, if before it come to maturity it be blaſted. So look upon mans end, and if that be blaſted, that is his great evil. Now the end of man is this, To live to the eternal praiſe of God, in the everlaſting injoyment of him. God made the Children of men for this end, That they might eternally live to his praiſe in the eternal injoyment of himſelf. Now if man be blaſted in this, there is his great evil, to blaſt man in this end for which he was made. Now no Affliction doth it, all the Afflictions in the world doth not hinder man from the attaining to his end. But Sin comes, and directly oppoſeth that end for which man was made, and croſſeth him in this Excelleney of his, in living to the praiſe of the infinite eternal firſt-Being of al things. Now before, I could not ſhew you the evil of Sin, but by ſhewing you the Excellency of the Image and Life of God: So here I cannot ſhew the evil of Sin, being oppoſite to mans laſt end, but by ſhewing you the Excellency of mans laſt end. Now the Excellency of mans laſt end, I mean the good God hath made man for, it appears in this.

p. 2601 It is ſuch a kind of Excellency as is worthy of all the good that there is in mans Nature, or that mans Nature is capable of. For the end and happineſs of any thing, muſt be that that muſt have as much excellency in it, that all in the thing muſt tend to the making of him happy. Mans nature is capable of the Image and life of God. Now that which muſt be the happineſs of ſuch a Creature muſt be worthy of ſuch an Excellency as the Image of God, and the life of God in man; therfore it muſt be a very high and glorious Excellency.

2 That which is mans happineſs and end is that which is worthy of al the wayes of God toward mankind. Now I beſeech you obſerve this thing, The wayes of God towards the Children of Men in bringing them to his laſt end, be the moſt glorious of all Gods wayes to any Creature; God did never manifeſt ſo much glory in all the world, nor never wil manifeſt ſo much glory to al eternity in any thing, as he hath manifeſted in theſe waies of his to bring mankind to the attaining his laſt end, for which he made him. Now if God be ſo glorious in that way of his concerning his working, in bringing man to his laſt end, then certainly that end of man, that happineſs man was made for muſt be very glorious: becauſe it muſt have ſo much glory and excellency in it as muſt be worthy all the glorious wayes of Gods working towards him. 'Tis thus with man. There is no wiſe man that doth any great work, manifeſts any great skill, or layes out great coſt, but will do it for ſuch an end, as that p. 261end, if ever it be attained, ſhall be worth all his coſt, and ſkill, and pains. For a wiſe man to beſtow much coſt, ſkill, and pains upon a mean thing, is abſurd and ridiculous; And no wiſe man but if he beſtow much coſt and pains, and manifeſt much ſkill, but he will be ſure it ſhall be for that, which if he attain to that he aims at, it ſhall be worth all. If a man be at a great deal of Charge in a Voyage, he aims at ſuch an end as may be worth his Charge: So when God above all things layes out his wiſdom, power, and mercy, & goodneſs, & faithfulneſs; and ſets at work all his Counſels to be laid out upon ſuch a buſineſs, as to get man to attain to his laſt end; then certainly mans end and happineſs muſt be worth it all. And it muſt needs be a glorious thing, God intends for the Children of men to make them happy withal, when the great Counſels of God, and wayes of Gods wiſdom and power be ſo about this buſineſs of bringing man to happineſs. Now if there be ſuch a glorious happineſs for mankind, then that which is moſt oppoſite to this great happineſs, muſt be very evil. Now ſin directly oppoſeth mans happineſs, the end man was made for: and thus you ſee the evil of ſin. When God comes to awaken mans Conſcience, and inlighten mans Soul to ſee how ſin croſſeth their happineſs more than any affliction, they will chuſe rather to be under the greateſt affliction, than the leaſt ſin.

Object. I but it may be you will ſay it doth not ſ… croſs mans happineſs, but that he may come to be happie for all ſin?

p. 262Anſw. I Anſwer, Of its own nature it directly croſſeth mans happineſs; quite undoes man; and if God by his Power fetch it about another way, this is no thank to ſin, but to God.

CHAP. XXVIII.

Fifthly, Sin is more oppoſite to mans good than Affliction becauſe tis a defilement of the Soul. 1 It defiles all a man medleth with. 2 Sin is the matter the worm ſhall gnaw upon to all eternity.

FIfthly, The evil of Sin againſt a mans good appeareth in this, In that it is the defilement and corruption of the Soul, a rottenneſs in the Soul. Affliction is not the filth and corruption of the Soul, the Soul may be as clear from filth and corruption, notwithſtanding Affliction, as it was before man ſinned. Sin, it is the rottenneſs of the Soul, and therefore ſuch a kind of defilement, As,

1 It defiles all things a man medles withal, and al his actions; it makes a man vile, and defiles every thing that comes from him. To the unclean all things are unclean and impure, Tit. 1. 15. It defiles the Creature and every thing he hath to do withal, and every thing he medles withal.

2 And eſpecially it appeareth in this, That it is no other than the matter for the worm to breed in that p. 263ſhall gnaw upon the Soul of the wicked to all eternity. You reade in Scripture, That the damned ſhall be puniſhed with fire that ſhall never go out; and the worm that ſhal never dye. What is that worm that ſhall never dye? The worm of Conſcience that ſhall gnaw upon their Spirits to all eternity. Now, what breeds this worm, and ſupplies it with matter? No other but the corruption of ſin in the ſoul. For as with worms (as the Holy Ghoſt makes uſe of that Meatopher) that breed in the corruption and filth in a mans body, there are ſome worms that breed in the body which are deadly. But out of what do thoſe worms breed? Out of the filth and corruption of the Body, and the corruption of the body ſupplies matter for the worm to gnaw upon. And ſo in Trees, and Timber, there breeds worms; upon what do they breed but upon the corruption of the Timber when it begins to rot. So then worms breed out of corruption, and live upon Corruption; ſo that worm of Conſcience that ſhall lye gnawing upon the ſouls of thoſe that periſh to al eternity, is nothing elſe but that which breeds from the filth of their hearts while they live here the worm breeds: Therefore you that live a long time in ſin, old ſinners, gray headed ſinners, though you do not feel the worm gnaw for the preſent; yet ever ſince you were born the worm was breeding, and it will be a great and a dreadful worm hereafter: and know you ſupply abundance of Corruption for to feed that worm that will gnaw another day: You feel it not now, but the longer you be before p. 264you feel it, the dreadfuller will it be then. All thoſe that have corrupt hearts, and have this worm breed, if God would make the worm gnaw now, it would be wel for them; for there be wayes to kill it here, to kill the worm of Conſcience. If it gnaw, there is a Soveraign Medicine, the bloud of Chriſt: And certainly there is no Medicine in the world to kill this worm but the bloud of Chriſt, and thoſe that God doth intend to kill this worm in, and thoſe that ſhall not have it gnaw to all eternity, God lets it gnaw now, the Miniſtery of the Word makes it gnaw and pain them, and they feel ſuch pain that whereſoever they go, or whatſoever they do yet the worm lies gnawing upon their hearts, they cannot ſleep, or eate their meat: Alas! what ſhould I eat, and have my worm gnaw there! And they can never be at reſt till God apply the bloud of Chriſt, and then they void the worm as it were. How will you rejoyce when your Children, if the worms be great and put them to pain, if the Phyſitian give them that which makes them void them, how do you rejoyce to ſee the worm that would have been the death of your Child? It might have grown bigger and bigger, if it had not been taken away. So I dare ſay there is never a Soul here before the Lord, but hath, or had a worm in their breaſts, I ſay, There was a time you had this worm in your breaſts, that without it were cured, would lie gnawing to all eternity, it is that which breeds of the filth and corruption of your hearts. Suppoſe a man had a little dirt on p. 265his face, this endangers not the life of the body, but when there is corruption within, and defilement of the Body within, that breeds diſeaſes, and will breed worms, it may be it wil breed the wolf that lies gnawing at their breaſts; many women have had it in their breaſts that lies gnawing upon their fleſh: but know, your ſins breed another manner of worm or wolf that will gnaw worſe than ever that did. And this is the evil of ſin, it is not only the defilement of the ſoul, but ſuch a defilement that breeds ſuch a worm that will gnaw upon conſcience to all eternity.

CHAP. XXIX.

Sixtly, Sin is more oppoſite to mans good than affliction, becauſe ſin is the object of Gods hatred; but God hateth not any for affliction.

SIxtly, Sin is the only object of the hatred of God, nothing is the object of Gods hatred but ſin: God doth not hate a man or a woman becauſe they are poor, God may love them as wel as any Monarch or Prince in the world, though they be poor: God hates not a man becauſe he is ſick, you hate not your Children becauſe they be ſick or weak: all the afflictions in the world make not a man an object of Gods hatred, but ſin doth: mark that expreſſion in Scripture, Pſalm, 5. 5. The Fool ſhall not ſtand in thy ſight, thou p. 266hateſt all workers of iniquity; ſo that ſin makes the Creature the object of Gods hatred: God ſaith not (mark) he hates the work of iniquity only; but the worker of iniquity: God hates not the Creature as he made them, but through ſin the Creature come… to be hated; even the workers of iniquity. Now obſerve the ſtrength of the Reaſon, That which makes a man the object of Gods hatred, muſt needs be a greater evil than that which can ſtand with Gods everlaſting love: for afflictions in the ſtrength of them, and bitterneſs of them, may ſtand with Gods eternal love; nay obſerve, they may ſtand with the ſame love wherwithal God the Father loved his Son Jeſus Chriſt; for ſo in the 17. of John, latter end; there Chriſt praies to the Father, that thou maieſt love them with the very ſame love with which thou loveſt me: Now God the Father loved Chriſt, and yet God the Father afflicted Chriſt, and Chriſt was under ſore afflictions, and yet at that very time God the Father loved him: So a man or a woman afflicted, notwithſtanding all their afflictions, they may have the very ſame love of God the Father that Jeſus Chriſt himſelf had, in a manner the very ſame: And my thinks this might be a mighty encouragement to afflicted ſouls; are you afflicted with poverty, bodily ſickneſs, perſecution, any thing? Know, for all this affliction, God may love you with the ſame love he loved his Son: but ſin makes the Creature the object of the hatred of God. But you will ſay, Gods Children have ſin. Of its own nature, it would make them objects of p. 267Gods hatred, but there comes in the blood of Chriſt, and the purchaſe of his blood procures peace between God and man; but I ſpeak of it in its own Nature; and thoſe that God looks upon in a ſinful condition, he cannot look upon them but he hates them. Now that which makes a man the object of Gods hatred, muſt needs be very evil; as thus, when any affection runs in one Current, it muſt needs run very ſtrongly; as in the Sea, ſuppoſe there were many Arms and Rivers to break the ſtrength of the Current, it would not run ſo powerfully; but when there is but one Current, the Current of the Ocean there runs very ſtrongly. So in the Affections, when the Affections be only ſet upon one object, then they be ſtrong: when Love is ſcattered upon this and the other thing, then 'tis not ſtrong, but when it is upon one, then it is ſtrong. When Parents have many Children, and they love this, and this, then it may be they love not any ſo ſtrongly; but when they have but one there is great love. So in hatred, where there is a hatred of many, there is not ſo much hatred againſt one; but where it runs in one Current only, there it is ſtrong. So here, there is no object that Gods hatred runs out againſt but only ſin, therefore the hatred muſtneeds be very powerful. Oh for a man or woman to live to be the object of the hatred of the eternal God, how dreadful an evil is this! We deſire to be beloved where we are, of every one; what a ſad thing is it to live in a Family, or a Town, and no body love them: men deſire to be beloved p. 268though it be of a dog, and they will boaſt ſomtimes, ſuch a dog, or a horſe loved ſuch an one, loved his Maſter; when he doth but come home, they will leap, and ſkip, and faun on him. Do we take delight to have our neighbors, or the family love us? nay, for the dog to love us? Oh what is the love of an infinite, eternal, glorious God! A man accounts it an evil if the dog only ſnarl and bark at him, this we account an evil: Oh what an evil is it then, to have the infinite, eternal, only wiſe God to be an enemy, and I the object of his hatred! Oh think of theſe things. And Brethren, in theſe times it is to be feared you contract abundance of ſin; you will have more to anſwer for before theſe **This was preached on the 2. of Januarytwelve daies be gone, than you had before. Oh let this ſtop the courſe of ſome ſin, that otherwiſe might be committed in theſe times of ſenſuallity; therefore when you ſee ſome go on in ſinful waies, do you ſtop and ſay, God forbid I ſhould do as they do; I have been in ſuch a place, and heard what ſin is, heard how it is againſt God, and this might ſtop me; but this day I have heard how it is againſt me and my own ſoul, and how it deſtroyes my own ſoul, therefore I will hate ſin everlaſtingly.

p. 269CHAP. XXX.

Seventhly, Sin is more oppoſite to mans good than Affliction, becauſe ſin brings guilt upon the ſoul.

SEventhly, There is more evil in ſin than in affliction, Becauſe ſin is more oppoſite againſt our own good than affliction, and that in this ſeventh reſpect, Sin brings guilt upon the ſoul, it makes the Creature ſtand guilty in the preſence of God: Now guilt upon the ſoul is a greater evil than any affliction can be: that is the thing I am now to open. Guilt, what is that? it is the binding over of the ſinner to Gods Juſtice, and to the Law, to anſwer, and be liable unto what the Law requires as puniſhment due to the ſinner: ſo that then for a Creature to ſtand bound over to Gods infinite Juſtice, and the Law, hath more evil in it againſt mans good than all the afflictions and miſeries in the world; this is the thing I am to make good. A ſinner goeth up and down with the chains of guilt upon him; Iron chains grating upon the ſore fleſh of a man, is not ſo tedious and grievous as the chains of guilt upon conſeience. Certainly this is one eſpecial reaſon why many wicked men and women are ſo froward as they are, becauſe they have much guilt upon their ſpirits, that as Iron ch…ins would grate the raw fleſh, ſo doth that guilt lie p. 270upon Conſcience, and that makes them ſo froward & peeviſh as they are; froward againſt God, and againſt man. Many men that you are to deal withal, you ſhal find them againſt the Word extream froward, & perverſ againſt their acquaintance, neighbors, & family, & neereſt friends, & we cannot imagine ſomtimes what is the reaſon: Certainly this is one eſpecial reaſon, there is much guilt upon their conſciences, and ſpirits; and this doth ſo diſquiet and vex them, that they fling out at God, and his Word, and every one; they can have no quiet they be ſo vexed and gauled with that guilt upon their ſpirits: there is a great deal of cauſe to ſuſpect much guilt to be upon thoſe that be ſo outragious, and can bear nothing; that have their hearts riſe againſt the Word eſpecially. Brethren, if you ſee any one that hath any light of Conſcience, and hath made profeſſion heretofore, if ſuch an one ſhall frowardly flie out againſt the Word, and thoſe that be godlie, you may conclude there is ſome woful guilt upon that mans ſpirit, he is ſo froward, and peeviſh, and diſquiet as he is: And ſo we find it in Saul, he was a man at firſt of a very quiet ſpirit, and very moderate; but after, Saul being a man much enlightened, and had forſaken God, and had contracted abundance of guilt upon his ſoul, he was a moſt froward perverſe ſpirit as any we reade of in the Book of God; then how froward was he with David, and the Prieſts of God, and ſo outragious as that he ſlaies them all; a bloody man after he had contracted much guilt. Do you ſee men p. 271ſo froward, and outragious, and bloodie? Oh there is much guilt within upon their ſpirits, great breaches between God and their ſouls, and the guilt of ſin within grates upon their hearts, and that makes them ſo outragious as they are: if guilt be upon the ſoul, it takes away al the comfort of every thing; that man or woman that hath an enlightened conſcience, and hath guilt upon them, there's little comfort ſuch a one can take in any thing they enjoy. No affliction in the world can take away the comfort of what we enjoy, as guilt can do; if you have afflictions one way, you have comforts another: if a man go abroad and meet with hard dealings, he comes home and hath comfort it may be in his wife, a comfortable yoke-fellow, this rejoyceth him; or may be he hath comfort in his Children, or in ſuch or ſuch a friend: But now let a man or a woman have guilt upon conſcience, abroad he hath no comfort, at home he hath no comfort; yea, the more comfortable things he doth enjoy, the more trouble there is in his ſpirit: As thus, Take a guiltie conſcience, and when he comes and looks upon a comfortable familie, comfortable eſtate, means coming in, a ſweet yoke-fellow, good friends; Oh but if I had not ſome guilt upon my ſoul, I could rejoyce in theſe; but that guilt that lies upon his conſcience take away all the comfort of theſe; and if he ſees others that enjoy theſe, Oh ſaith he, this man may have comfort in a comfortable yoke-fellow, children, or friends, and a good eſtate; but p. 272he hath not guilt upon his ſpirit, and that breach between his God and he as I have. May be the world knows not where his …hoo pincheth him, and what ſadens his ſpirit: many men that have comforts about them (though they cannot be ſaid to enjoy them) yet their hearts be troubled and diſquieted, and no bodie knows the matter; Oh there is guilt upon their ſpirits: they think within themſelves, Oh, if it were with me as it is with ſuch a one, it would be well, ſure they have not that guilt I have, if they had they could not but be diſquieted as I am.

Again, Guilt brings woful fear upon the Conſcience; no affliction can bring ſuch fear upon the Conſcience. Though there ſhould be never ſuch troubles and fears, and confuſions in the world, alas this is not ſo terrible and fearful as that fear the guiltie conſcience hath. Take a man or woman whoſe conſcience is delivered from the guilt of ſin, ſuch a one, though Heaven and Earth ſhould meet, is not ſo much troubled. Certainly Brethren, in theſe great fears amongſt us, that you be ſkar'd at everything, it is partly becauſe you have not throughly made up your peace between God and your ſouls, and ſome guilt lies upon your ſpirits and conſciences; and this indeed will make every thing terrible to you, if that lie there: Guilt upon the conſcience makes God, the thoughts of God ſeem terrible. Now it is a greater evil for the creature not to be able to look upon God, & to have thoughts of God without being pierced with terror, than to be under any affliction in the world; ſorrows, fears, and diſgrace p. 273and perſecutions are not ſo terrible as this, that I am in ſuch a condition that I cannot look up to God, nor think upon God without having the thoughts of his Majeſty to be terrible to me A guilty Conſcience cannot endure to have a thought of God, it is terrible to him, and therefore he labors by going into company, and ſports, and buſineſs in the world, to take off the thoughts of God, becauſe the thoughts of God peirce his heart. And ſo the preſence of God is very terrible where guilt is upon the Conſcience, and the Conſcience of ſuch a one cannot endure to come into Gods preſence; nor into the Communion of Saints where Gods preſence is. And he cannot endure to pray, the thoughts of that ſtrike his heart; to go alone to pray, the preſence of God when alone is extream terrible. And this is a ſader condition than to be under any affliction: better be under any affliction than in ſuch a caſe, as that the preſence of God is terrible: the preſence of God in Prayer, and ſo the preſence of God in his Word; Oh the Word is terrible to ſuch a one, the Word of God ſpeaks nothing but terror ſo long as guilt remains upon the Conſcience. This is worſe than Affliction that that Word which is a treaſure of ſweetneſs, and goodneſs, and comfort to thoſe that are gracious and godly, ſhould be filled with terror to the ſoul of one that is full of guilt. Yea, to ſuch a one all the wayes of Gods Providence are full of terror; if there be any Judgment of God abroad, Oh the terror that this brings upon his foul. Brethren, Sin is committed quickly, you p. 274have a temptation comes, and you fall upon the Sin and act it; the Sin, the act of it, is tranſient and quickly gone; the guilt that ſticks to you. When a man or woman hath ſatisfied their Iuſt in a ſinful way, the guilt ſticks behind: may be the time is gone for the pleaſure of it; it was perhaps yeſterday, or ſuch a night or time thou hadeſt the pleaſure of it, but now the ſin is gone the pleaſure of it, but the guilt ſticks, and that abides upon thy Spirit to all eternity if thou look not to it. Nay, certainly it muſt ſtick upon the Spirit, it is not in the power of any Creature in heaven or in earth to deliver thee from it: yea the guilt ſo remains, that though thou feel it not now for the preſent, it may ſtick terriblely many years after. But Affliction is terrible only for the preſent, not for afterward; but guilt and ſin laies a foundation of Miſ… for many years after. Nay, many times it is grievous painful to the Soul long after it is committed: as it was in Joſephs Brethren, we reade of them that they committed that great Sin againſt their Brother, and it troubled them not a great while; but twenty two years after when they were in an affliction, then the guilt of their ſin comes a freſh, Oh then we ſinned againſt our Brother; when they were in priſon there: now it was twenty two years from the time they committed that ſin to that time when they were in trouble there. So you that have committed ſin and think ſome ſlight ſorrow may waſh it away, know the guilt may abide upon your ſpirits perhaps twenty, may be forty years after. p. 275And you that are yong take heed and know that ſin is more evil than any affliction, for the ſin that you commit when you are yong in your Maſters Families, the guilt may abide upon you, and youthful ſins may prove ages terror. It may be with you as with a man that gets a bruiſ, when he is yong he feels it not, but when he is old than it ach in his bones, and puts him to terrible pain many times; ſo many yong people feel not ſin when their bloud is hot, but afterward, the guilt of ſin abides upon them, and is the torment of their ſouls when their bloud is cold. Now what evil is there in ſin that may do a man miſchief perhaps twenty or forty years hence. As it is with ſome poyſon, there are ſome poyſons men have skill in, that they can give poyſon ſhall not work in three or four, perhaps not till ſeven years afterward, and yet they know certainly, That if that man be not cut off before (except God work extraordinarily) he ſhall dye at the ſeven years end of that poiſon he took ſeven years before. So ſin is ſuch a thing that it wil do a man a miſchief many years after.

Again, The guilt of ſin hath this evil further in it, which appears in that difference between men that come to ſuffer with guilt, and thoſe that come to ſuffer without guilt: Take them that have come to the moſt grievous ſufferings in the world, and had not the guilt of ſin upon their Conſciences, who had all cleer between God and their ſouls; their ſufferings be joyful, and they can rejoice in tribulation and troubles, p. 276as the Martyrs in Perſecution, how did they rejoyce and glory in their ſufferings? with what a Spirit of magnanimitie did they come to their ſufferings? But take thoſe who ſuffer through guilt, as Malefactors, when they come to ſuffer, what ſhame and confuſion is upon them! Thus Affliction is nothing to them that have no guilt, but thoſe that have the guilt of ſin upon them when they come to ſuffer their guilt is a thouſand times more than their affliction. There is a great deal of difference between a man guilty of treaſon when he come to ſuffer for it, there is ſhame and confuſion, and diſmal darkneſs in the ſpirit where there is guilt: but let one be accuſed for treaſon, or any ſuch horrible crime, and no guilt upon the ſpirit, ſuch a one can go on with joy, and comfort, and peace; whatſoever can be done to him is very little or nothing when guilt is removed. The truth is, there is no ſuffering can countervail the ſuffering that guilt makes. The guilt makes the ſuffering evil, otherwiſe not. If one man come upon another man with ſuffering, it is nothing without guilt; ſo it is true, when God comes it is nothing if God and we be at peace: but now when God comes with any ſuch affliction as the very affliction ſhall have the mark of the ſin upon it, and ſo ſhall ſtir up Conſcience to accuſe you for it, then the heart is ready to ſink when the affliction ſhall bear the name of the ſin together with it. I remember the difference of Davids Spirit at ſeveral times; one time, Though an Hoſt incampe about me, yet will I not fear, and though I p. 277walk in the valley of the ſhadow of death, I will fear no evil; Pſal. 23. Another time he is afraid when he flies from Abſolon; and when there was a breach between God and his ſoul, when he had brought guilt upon his ſpirit, then David was quickly cooled; and upon any occaſion of trouble, David was quickly frightened. This is a ſeventh thing wherein ſin appears to be a greater and more evil thing than Affliction, becauſe it makes the ſoul guiltie before God.

CHAP. XXXI.

Eighthly, Sin is a greater evil to man than affliction, becauſe it's that which put the Creature under the Sentence of Condemnation.

EIghthly, Sin is a greater evil than Affliction, Becauſe it is that which puts the Creature under the Sentence of Condemnation, and ſo makes more againſt the good of man than any affliction can do. For a poor Creature to ſee himſelf ſtand before the great Judg of all the World, and have the Sentence of Condemnation come out againſt him; this is a greater evil than to have any affliction that all the Creatures of Heaven and Earth could bring upon him. As now, take a Malefactor that is to ſtand before Mans Judgment Seat, and to receive Sentence of Condemnation; is not this a greater evil unto him than if p. 278he ſhould hear of loſs in his eſtate, than if he had ſickneſs in his bodie, any pain in his limbs; to ſtand thus to receive the Sentence, he looks upon it as a greater evil than poſſibly can befal him in this world otherwiſe. But then, when the ſoul ſhal ſee it ſelf ſtand before the infinite glorious, eternal firſt-Being of all things, and looks upon God ſitting upon his Tribunal paſſing Sentence of Eternal Death upon him; this is another manner of evil than any affliction and ſuffering that can befal him. But now, know there is not any one ſin that thou committeſt (but if you look upon it as in it ſelf) God ſits, I ſay, upon his Trone, and paſſeth Sentence of death upon thee for it as really as ever he will do at the great day of Judgment; it is done now as really and as truly in this world as ever it ſhall be at the day of Judgment, only here is the difference, then it is irrecoverable; nay, ſhall I ſay it cannot be recalled here; no certainly it ſhall not, only it may be tranſmitted to Chriſt, he muſt bear it, he muſt have the ſentēce; ſo that it is not properly recalled, God doth not as a Judg that paſſeth Sentence, and afterward nullifies it: no, but God paſſeth Sentence and condemns the ſinner; only Chriſt comes in and takes the Sentence upon himſelf; ſo that the Sentence goeth on ſtill, only it is transferred from one perſon to another; Chriſt comes in, and he puts on the Sentence of Condemnation for thee that haſt it paſſed againſt thee, ſo that the Sentence is not properly nullified, but tranſferred to Chriſt: Eccleſ. 8. 11. ſaith the text there, p. 279Becauſe Sentence againſt an evil Work is not ſpeedily executed, therefore the heart of the ſons of men are fully ſet in them to do evil. (Mark) the Sentence againſt an evil work is not ſpeedilie executed: ſo that it appears there is a Sentence againſt every evil work: The Sentence is out Brethren; thou goeſt and art drunk, or to the commiſſion of ſuch a ſin, I ſay, preſentlie the Sentence of death is clapt upon thee, the Sentence is out againſt all ſinners: You ſee men go on and live in proſperitie a great while in the world; but they be under the Sentence all the while, ſin is not removed by the blood of Chriſt, and all the comforts (I beſeech you obſerve that) that any man or woman have in the world that are in their natural condition, and are not delivered from Condemnation by Chriſt, they are all but juſt as meat and drink, and ſome refreſhments that are grantnd to a condemned Malefactor before Execution. Suppoſe a Malefactor is condemned, but now Execution is not till two or three daies after; in that ſpace of time he hath granted unto him libertie to have meat and drink, and friends come to him, and he may refreſh himſelf in thoſe two or three daies; but he hath forfeited all his Eſtate, and the tenure now upon which he holds any comfort, it is not the ſame which he had before, but meerly through the bountie of the Prince it is that he hath comforts. So here, wicked men have committed ſin, and the Sentence of death is out againſt them, and they have forfeited all the comforts of their eſtates, and of their lives, only p. 280God in patience grants unto them ſome outward comforts here a few daies before Execution; and upon this tenure do all wicked men hold their Eſtates: I will not ſay that every wicked man is an Uſurper of their Eſtates, as ſome perhaps have held, that they have no right at all before God; ſome right he hath, as you cannot ſay a Malefactor hath no right (when he is condemned) to meat and drink before Execution; he hath right to what is given to him of Donation and Bountie, but not that right which he had before: So I ſay, for wicked men that have Eſtates in this world, they have a kind of right to that they have; but how? Juſt that right that a condemned man hath to his dinner or ſupper before Execution; this is the right of wicked men to their Eſtates; that is, God of his bountie grants a little while before Execution they ſhall have a few comforts to them in this world: And this is the evil of ſin, and the leaſt ſin, there is not any one ſin, but the fruit of it is Condemnation. And Brethren, you muſt not miſtake, to think that wicked men are never condemned until they come before God in the day of Judgment; they be condemned here, mark that, John, 3. 18. He that beleeves not is condemned already: now condemned, not hereafter, but a condemned man already: this is a ſad condition indeed. If a man had the Sentence of death ſo paſt that the whol Parliament could not help him, you would think that man in a ſad condition. Now let me ſpeak it, and God ſpeaks it to the conſcience of every ſinner; I p. 281ſay, thou that ſtandeſt before God in any one ſin, and not delivered through the blood of his Son Chriſt, thou ſtandeſt ſo under the Sentence of condemnation, as all the Creatures in Heaven and Earth cannot help and deliver thee, thou muſt have ſome help beyond the help of all the Creatures in Heaven and Earth to deliver thee: When Paul would comfort the Saints againſt all troubles and afflictions they meet withal, Rom. 8. he begins thus, There is no condemnation to them in Chriſt Jeſus: as if he ſhould ſay, this is the comfort, no Condemnation. If I know I am delivered from the Sentence of Condemnation, let what will fall out I am well enough; but this be ſure of, there is Condemnation to thoſe that are not in Chriſt. I remember Luther had this Speech when he had got aſſurance of pardon of ſin, that he was freed and abſolved by God; he cries out, Lord ſtrike, Lord, now ſtrike, for I am abſolved from my ſins, thou haſt delivered me from ſin; now ſtrike, now let any affliction befal that poſſibly can; let never ſo much trouble attend I am abſolved from ſin; now Lord ſtrike. This is the Eighth, Sin is more oppoſite againſt the good of man than Affliction, for it brings them under the Sentence of Condemnation.

p. 282CHAP. XXXII.

Ninthly, Sin is a greater Evil to man than Affliction, becauſe it breaks the Ʋnion between God and the Soul.

NInthly, Sin is a greater evil than Affliction in this, In that it is the very thing that breaks the Ʋnion between God and the Soul: It is that doth it, and no Affliction doth it. Now Brethren, this I confeſs might ſeem to be leſs than that of Hatred, and might have come before it; but now I bring it in here, That it breaks the Union between God and the Soul, Iſa. 59. 2. Your Sins have ſeparated between you and your God! We are to know, The Souls of men are capable of a very near and high Union between God and them; the more ſpiritual any thing is, the more power hath it to Unite, and the more neer the Union: As thus, The beams of the Sun becauſe they be very ſpiritual, they can Unite a thouſand of them into one Point as it were; but groſſer things cannot ſo Unite themſelves together. So Brethren, God being a Spirit, and our Souls being Spirits, they come to be capable of a moſt neer Communion one with another. And the Souls of men are neerer a glorious Union with God, in this regard more neer than any Creature but the Angels. Becauſe the Object of p. 283mans Underſtanding is not any particular truth, but Veritas, truth in general, truth it ſelf in the whole latitude is the Object of mans Underſtanding. So the Object of mans Will, Is not this good, or that good in particular; but Bonitas, good in general, in the full latitude of it. It is not ſo with other Creatures, they have their Objects in ſome particular thing, in ſuch a limit and compaſs, and they can work no further, nor higher. But it is otherwiſe with mans Soul, God hath made man in ſuch a kind, that the Object of his Soul ſhould be Truth and Goodneſs in the full latitude, in the infinitneſs of it, take it in the utmoſt extent that can be, yet ſtill it is the Object of the Soul of man. Now hence it is that the Soul of man is of ſuch a wonderful larg extent, even capable of God himſelf, of enjoyment of Union and Communion with God himſelf, which otherwiſe could not be. No other Creature hath to do with infiniteneſs, nor can have to do with it but men and Angels, and upon that ground, becauſe God hath made them of ſuch a nature ſo large that their Faculties ſhould be of ſo large a nature. Now hence it is that man being capable of the enjoyment of God in ſuch a glorious manner: We have theſe Expreſſions in Scripture, He that is joyned to the Lord, is one Spirit: 1 Cor. 6. 17. Made one Spirit with God. A moſt ſtrange expreſſion that the ſoul of a poor Creature ſhould be made one Spirit with God, and yet ſo it is. And ſo John 17. 21. we have two or three notable expreſſions, That they may be all one, as thou Father art in me, and I in p. 284thee, and that they may be one in us. Chriſt prayes that the Saints may be one in him, and in the Father, as the Father is in him, and he in the Father: ſo they may be one with them. And Verſ. 22. And the glory which thou gaveſt me, I have given them: that they may be one, even as we are one. Chriſt hath given the Saints the ſame glory God the Father gave him. And to what end? what was the effect of that glory Chriſt gave to the Saints? It was that they may be one with the Father and one with the Son. So that you ſee mankind is capable of a wonderful neer Union with God; Oh conſider this to raiſe your ſpirits. You that look after ſuch low things and think there is no higher good than to eat, and drink, and to have your pleaſures in the Fleſh: know that the meaneſt and pooreſt in the Congregation, are capable to receive that glory God gave his Son Chriſt; that you may be one with God the Father and the Son, as God the Father and the Son are one; not every way: but know there is a likeneſs, Chriſt himſelf hath expreſt it. Therefore you that have your hearts ſo low, that mind nothing but theſe things below, know that you have more noble things to mind if your hearts conſider it. But here is the evil of Sin; Sin breaks the union between God and the ſoul; it ſeparates between God and the Soul, it keeps off God that infinite, eternal, glorious fountain of all good; it keeps him off from you; it makes you loſe God, and all the good in God: By Sin you depart from God, which is the Curſe of the Damned at the day of Judgment, Depart p. 285from me you Curſed: you here, for the preſent, in every ſin, do begin to have that dreadful Sentence executed on you: Depart from me ye Curſed. You do it your ſelves while you live in ſinful waies, there is a real actual departing from God, and executing of that dreadful Sentence, Depart you Curſed. You think there is little evil in ſin; but if you knew that God is an infinite Good, and then knew the Union you are capable of with God, and then ſee ſin break this Union; this would make you ſee ſin the greateſt evil in the world.

CHAP. XXXIII.

Tenthly, Sin is more againſt mans good than Affliction, for that it ſtirs up all in God to come againſt a ſinner in way of Enmity.

TEnthly, The Evil of ſin as againſt our good, conſiſts in this, It ſtirs up all in God to come in way of Enmity againſt a ſinner: and this is another manner of buſineſs than to ſuffer affliction. A moſt dreadful place of Scripture we have for this, Levit. 26. verſe 24. 28. If you walk contrary to me, I will walk contrary unto you: What is that? All my glorious Attributes ſhall work againſt you; as if God ſhould ſay, Is there any thing in me can make you miſerable? you p. 286have it? if all my Power or Wiſdom can bring evil upon you, you ſhall have it: I will walk contrary in all the working of my Attributes, and waies of my Providence▪ And a moſt dreadful place we have, Pſalm, 34. 16. there God ſaith, The face of the Lord is againſt them that do evil: Mark, the face of the Lord: What is Gods face? The manifeſtation of himſelf, and his glorious Attributes; the face of the Lord is againſt them that do evil. Oh that thou wouldeſt conſider this thou that doſt evil, whoſe conſcience cannot but tell thee thou doſt evil; know, the face of God is againſt thee: and is this nothing to have the face of God againſt thee? The face of God is terrible in the world when he meets with a ſinner; one ſight of the face of God againſt a ſoul, cannot but overwhelm the ſoul and ſinke it down to the bottomleſs Gulf of eternal deſpair, if God hold him not by his mighty hand, there is ſo much terror in it: and yet the Scripture ſaith, the face of God is againſt them that do evil. Another Text very remarkable we have in the 2 Sam. 22. 27. With the pure thou wilt ſhew thy ſelf pure, and with the froward thou wilt ſhew thy ſelf froward; or unſavory: But it may be tranſlated, With the perverſe thou wilt wraſtle: ſo that thoſe that be froward and perverſe, and will walk on in a ſinful way, God wraſtles it out with them; God puts forth his Power to wraſtle, and certainly if God wraſtle with thee, he will lay thee upon thy back. It is a dreadful thing that God ſhould uſe ſuch a ſpeech, that he will wraſtle with man; for all men in ſin, as I p. 287ſhewed before, they wraſtle with God, as if they would have the day; God will have his will, and thou ſhalt have the fall; thou wraſtleſt, and God wraſtle: you know Wraſtlers put forth all their ſtrength againſt one another, and know, God puts forth all his ſtrength againſt every ſinner. And that I may bring it more full to your ſences, conſider this, From whence hath any Creature power to bring evil upon thee, or to torment thee? Surely it hath ſomwhat of God in it: as thus, Fire hath power to torment the Bodie, and it is only one ſpark of God let out through the power of that Creature, otherwiſe it had no power. And again, another Creature, Swords and Weapons, they have power to gaſh and wound the Body; whence have theſe Inſtruments their power? it is but ſome drop of Gods power through theſe Inſtruments. So one Diſeaſe hath power to torment one way, and another, another way; whence hath any Diſeaſe power to torment? only there is ſome little of Gods power let out through that Diſeaſe. Now if all Creatures tormenting hath only power through Gods letting out his power, then what a dreadful thing will it be when Gods Power ſhal be infinitely let out againſt the Creature? ſo that take all Creatures in their ſeveral powers to torment, and put them all together, one Creature in one kind, and another in another, and put them all together, this would be great torture: Now all the Power of God is the ſeveral powers of all the Creatures put together in one, and infinitely more; and when p. 288that comes againſt the Creature, it muſt needs make them miſerable: its another manner of matter than afflictions, when all in God comes out againſt the ſoul; and there is not any one ſin but endangers this.

CHAP. XXXIV.

XI. Sin is more oppoſite to mans good than affliction, for that ſin make all the Creatures of God at enmity with a ſinner.

XI. FUrther, in the next place, The evil that ſin hath beyond all the evil of Affliction is this: That ſin, it doth make all the Creatures of God to be at an enmity with a ſinner: I ſay, ſin puts a ſinner in this condition, that all the Creatures of God are Enemies unto the ſinner; they be all as the Hoſt of God that come out againſt a ſinner, ready armed with Gods wrath, ready bent to execute the wrath of God againſt a ſinner: the Creatures of God are called Gods Hoſt, not only becauſe they be armed with Gods wrath, but becauſe there is in them a propencity to deſtroy thoſe ſinners that ſin againſt the God of their Being. Every Creature is ready and doth as it were cry to God, Oh Lord, when wilt thou give me commiſſion to take away ſuch a wretch, Lord, ſuch a one is a p. 289filthy, wretched Blaſphemer, a Sabbath breaker, a drunkard, and thou liveſt all this while, and haſt been at peace, and yet they are ſtill crying, Lord, ſhall I go and take him away, and ſend him to his own place? If thou couldeſt hear it, all the Creatures in the world cry thus, and they be all deſirous to ſend thee to thy own place, and take thee away. My thinks when I ſee a ſinner, I hear all the Creatures cry as he in the … Sam. 16. 9. Abiſhai the ſon of Zerviah; Abiſhai was one of Davids Soldiers, when Shimei curſed David: Shall I go and cut off this dead Dogs neck? So he ſaith concerning Shimei, Let me go over I pray thee, and take off his head; why ſhould this dead Dog curſe my Lord? So when thou art blaſpheming God, the Creatures look upon thee with diſdain, and they riſe againſt thee, and all the Creatures ſay, Oh this dead Dog, this wretched Creature, how long ſhall he live to blaſpheme God? ſhall I cut off his head? ſhall I go and ſend him down to his own place? It would terrifie thy heart if thou ſhouldeſt hear every Creature crying to God to be thy Executioner from him. And certainly when God gives commiſſion, and God falls upon thee, every Creature wil fal upon thee: As you read in the 2 Sam. 18. when Joab fell upon Abſalom, preſently the ten men fell upon him, and ſlue him too, as ſoon as Joab gave the ſtroke. So, as ſoon as God gives the ſtroke againſt the ſinner, certainly all other Creatures be ready to fall upon the ſinner alſo: ſo that ſin brings a man to ſuch a condition that all Creatures are at enmity with him; whereas when p. 290once the ſoul is reconciled to God, and ſin pardoned, all Creatures be at Peace with you, you are then in League with all the Creatures. We ſhould account it an evil condition to be in ſuch a place where all the men in the Nation are our Enemies, and ſtand ready to murder us: Certainly all the ſinners in the world are in the middeſt of the Creatures of God that ſtand ready armed with GODS wrath againſt them. Hence it is, That when once God inlightens (I beſeech you obſerve it) the Conſcience of a ſinner, he feareth every thing; The wicked flie, when none purſueth them. It is very obſervable of Cain, after he had committed that ſin of ſlaying his Brother, then ſaith Cain, Every one that meets me, will ſlay me: Who was there then in the world? No body but his Father and Mother: and yet every one that meets him will ſlay him, he was afraid of every thing, and every one, becauſe he had ſinned againſt the Lord. So every inlightened Conſcience that knows what ſin means, when he comes to have Conſcience awakened, they be afraid of every thing: If there be thundrings, & lightenings, & ſtorms, & tempeſts, it ſees the wrath of God in this Storm and Tempeſt, Thunder and Lightening; any ſtirs abroad in the world be but as Meſſengers of Gods wrath againſt me, ſaith the awakened Conſcience: This is the miſery of a ſinner; and then how much is the evil of Sin greater than Affliction!

p. 291CHAP. XXXV.

XII. Sin is a greater Evil to man than Affliction, becauſe it puts a man under the Curſe of God.

XII. NAy further, It puts the Creature under the Curſe of God: it doth ſeparate the Creature for evil. Pſal. 4. 3. It is ſaid, God ſeparates the righteous man for himſelf. So ſin ſeparates the Creature for evil, and makes him Anathema, accurſed: For God in Deut. 27 26. ſaith, Curſed is every one that abides not in every thing that is written in the Law to do it; he is accurſed in all that he hath and doth: The Curſe of God is againſt him. And here obſerve, ſin doth not only deſerve a Curſe, that the Creature ſhould be accurſed, but of its own nature it is a Curſe, and makes the Creature accurſed in its own nature. As thus, you may ſee the evil of ſin by the excellency of Grace: Thus Grace doth not only bring excellency upon the Creature, and brings a bleſſing, but of it ſelf it ſeparates the Creature for a bleſſing. For what is holineſs but grace? they be uſually expreſt for one and the ſame; now what is Holineſs but the Conſecration of a thing for God; ſo that when Holineſs comes into the heart, that is nothing elſe but p. 292that gracious Principle whereby the ſoul of a man or woman, before common to Luſt and ſin, is now come to be ſeparated from al theſe things and to be conſecrated and given up to God himſelf, that's Holineſs. Now ſin muſt needs be contrary unto holineſs. As holineſs is a ſeparation of the Creature from other things, and a conſecration of it unto God; ſo ſin is a ſeparation of the Creature from God and all good, and devoting of it up unto wrath, and miſery, and a curſe, and al evil whatſoever in its own nature; it is not in the deſert only. Many men think ſin in its deſert deſerves a Curſe, but they underſtand not how ſin in its own nature ſeparates the heart from God, and ſo gives it up to al evil, and all miſery, as grace doth to all good. This is the evil of ſin, and therefore another manner of evil than there is in Affliction.

p. 293CHAP. XXXVI.

XIII. Sin is the ſeed of Eternal evil, therefore more hurtful to man than Affliction. An Uſe therof, Then ſee that thoſe men are deceived that think to provide well for themſelves by Sin. Uſe. 2. The Miniſtry of the Word is for our good, as well as Gods glory.

XIII. FUrther, Sin it is a principal evil; ſo I call it, becauſe it is a principal of Eternal evil to the Creature, (I beſeech you obſerve what I mean) I do not mean that it deſerves eternal evil only, but of it ſelf it is eternal evil. As thus, Grace doth not only deſerve eternal happineſs, but it is the ſeed of eternal happineſs, it is that principle, that if let alone wil grow to eternal happineſs. So ſin doth not only deſerve eternal miſery, but it is the ſeed of eternal evil, and ſin it ſelf will be executioner upon the ſoul, and will prove an intollerable miſery to the ſoul. Though ſin be the very element in which many men and women live and ſo delight themſelves: yet be it known, That this ſin doth not only deſerve that God ſhould bring his wrath upon thee for it, but that ſin will prove eternal torment to thee. As thus, The Fiſh that playes and leaps in the water, p. 294the water is the element to the Fiſh that it delights in; but if you put fire under this water if in a veſſel, then that water that was the element in which the Fiſh skipt, and playd, and delighted it ſelf, that water will be torture and torment to the Fiſh boyling hot: So ſin is the element where men play, and delight in ſinful wayes, as the Fiſh in the water, but when God comes and mingles wrath with ſin, then that very ſin which was thy delight, ſhall be torture and torment, and ſo a principle of eternal evil it ſhall be to you. Thus ſin is another manner of evil than affliction; as thus, Afflictions though in Diſeaſes they bring pains and ſorrows to the Body, the matter of this will wear out in time, and ſo the Diſeaſe will fall; but ſin is ſuch a principal evil and miſery to the Creature, as it will never go out, but continues a principal of eternal miſery. Thus you have ſeen how ſin is againſt our own good. Somwhat I would fain ſay by way of APPLICATION in this work.

Ʋſe 1. Sin is againſt our own good: Hence all thoſe promiſes that any ſinful way hath to you, to provide for your own ſelves in, and your own good, they be all deceitful, and will deceive you The way of the wicked deceives them. Certainly thou art miſtaken, if thou thinkeſt to make any proviſion for thy ſelf in ſinful wayes. And the beſt way for any man or woman to provide for themſelves, is to abandon ſin: Wouldeſt thou provide for thy ſelf, for thy own good, and be a true ſelf-lover, abandon ſin, for ſin is againſt thy own good.

p. 295Ʋſe 2. Again, Hence you ſee, That the Mineſtry of the Word is that that is for our good, and that that makes for your good, as well as for Gods glory. God in ſending the Miniſtry of the Word, ſends it for your own good as well as his own glory. Why what doth it do? Only ſeeks to get away your ſins, and make them bitter and grievous unto you. I have in many particulars opened the nature of ſin, and how grievous and evil tis: now what is the intendment of this, but to get the Serpent out of your boſoms, that which will do you miſchief, and all for your own good Certainly if ever God open your eyes, you wil then deſire, with your faces upon the ground, to bleſs God that ever he ſent his Miniſters to ſhew you what ſin is. Many times mens ſpirits riſe againſt the Word, and they take the Miniſters as enemies, Oh he ſpeaks againſt me: No it is not againſt any ones perſon, but againſt thy ſin, man or woman, that which wil do thee miſchief, and undo thee. Again, many cry out againſt the Miniſter as that man againſt Chriſt, He comes to torment us before the time. No it is againſt thy ſin man, it is to take away that which will undo thee. Many are ready to ſay of the Miniſter as he to the Prophet Elijah, What haſt thou met me, Oh my ennemy! But as the Prophet ſaith, Doth not my words do you good? Certainly that which makes ſin grievous to you, doth you as much good as Creatures can be done to for the preſent. Many have ſin in their ſtomachs, that riſe againſt the Miniſter and the Word, as the ſick mans ſtomach againſt the glaſs or the pot in p. 296which the Phyſick is, but when for that evil grief within, he takes a vomit, it makes him ſick it may be for a while, and the man caſts up many filthy things and noyſom ſtuffe; and then he cryes out, Oh! bleſſed be God, though I had pain, yet this takes away a great deal of that bad ſtuffe that would have bred Diſeaſes. So though our Miniſtry may put you to pain, yet you will bleſs God when that is caſt out that it hath to deal withal. Many when they hear the Word, their ſpirits riſe againſt it; but when it hath pleaſed God to get away their ſins, though upon hard terms, they have bleſt God that ever they heard the Word that did trouble them, or ever ſaw ſuch a mans face. I remember an expreſſion of one to my ſelf, That when he ſate and heard me, he was perſwaded every thing I ſpake was againſt himſelf, though a ſtranger whom I never knew, and he profeſſed his ſpirit roſe both againſt the Word and the Speaker, going home, and the Word working, and working out ſin, he comes not long after and bleſſed God that ever he heard that Sermon: And ſo certainly it will be.

I have ſhewed you in theſe thirteen Particulars how evil Sin is againſt your own ſouls; know then, if the Miniſter by the Word can but get away your ſin, Oh you will ſee it above the greateſt good and happineſs that ever you had in all your lives, that ever you did underſtand that which would do you ſo much hurt: Alas you will ſay, I did not ſee ſin would do me ſo much hurt; wo to me if I had not heard the evil p. 297of ſin; if I had known the evil of ſin by feeling, what had become of me? You have heard and read much of the evil of ſin; now think, if theſe things be ſo grievous in the hearing or reading, what a woful condition will that ſoul be in that muſt feel it? that muſt have every one of theſe Particulars made good to the full? Certainly ſuch a ſoul muſt needs be in a woful condition. Now the Lord ſo ſanctifie and bleſs unto you the reading or hearing of all theſe evils, that none of your ſouls may ever come to feel them.

CHAP. XXXVII.

XIV. Sin is worſe than affliction, becauſe it hardens the heart againſt God and the means of Grace.

THe oppoſition Sin hath to our own good, It hath more evil againſt our ſelves than any Affliction; & for the manifeſting that we have opened Thirteen Particulars: Thus far we have gone. There is two Particulars more to diſcover the evil of ſin as againſt our good more than afflictions.

XIV. Sin is worſe than Affliction as againſt our ſelves, For it is that which hardens the heart againſt God, and the means of Grace more than any Affliction. I do not ſpeak now of hardening the heart againſt God in oppoſition to him; but p. 298as in oppoſition to our own good that we ſhould receive from God, in the uſe of the means of grace; and ſo Sin is more oppoſite to our good than Afflictions▪ Affliction rather, uſually, doth further the means of grace, and prepare the heart for the entertaining of the means of grace; affliction doth: But Sin hardens the heart againſt it, and hinders the efficacy of the means of grace upon the ſouls of men and women; Hoſea, 5. and the laſt, In their afflictions they will ſeek me early: then the more afflictions are upon them, the more ready are they to ſeek me; Iſay, 26. 16. When thy chaſtening was upon them, they powred forth their prayer. Many men and women that never knew how to pray, that would ſay they could not pray in their families, that they could not pray in ſecret, any otherwiſe than to ſay a prayer, or that they had learned when they were children to ſay ſo many words; they could not pray otherwiſe: But when their Afflictions are upon them, then their hearts could be driven to God, and they could find how to pray otherwiſe. There is a ſpeech concerning Marriners, He that knows not how to pray, let him go to Sea: noting, that when he comes into the waves, and tempeſts, and ſtorms, that would teach him to pray: You Marriners, conſider if ever it have taught you to pray: my thinks, of any ſort of men in the world, Marriners ſhould have the gift of prayer, becauſe ſo often in affliction, and in danger of their lives; and many times they find, though they know not how to uſe their mouthes, to faſhion their tongues to any p. 299thing but oaths at other times; yet when in danger of their lives, they can fall to prayer, and powr forth their prayer; when thy chaſtening is upon them, they powr forth their prayer: and that word there tranſlated Prayer, in the Original is a word that ſignifies to Inchant; and the reaſon comes from hence, becauſe Inchanters did put a great deal of efficacie in a few words, cloſed their Sentences in a few words, and thought there was much efficacie in them: So the prayers that comes from men & women in Affliction hath much efficacie in them, they be not vain light words, but have abundance of efficacie: ſo that Afflictions further the means of grace in the hearts of men and women; it brings them to the Word, and furthers that alſo; it is as the rain that ſoftens the Earth, and fits it for the Plow; Plow up the fallo… ground of your hearts, ſaith the Lord: the Word of God is as the Plow, to plow up the fallow ground of your heart▪ Now Huſband-men know when the Earth is dr…e and hard they cannot plow, their plows are kept out; but when Rain comes and ſoftens the Earth, then their Plows can go. Many times it is ſo with the hearts of manie men and women when they are in proſperitie, the Sun-ſhine of proſperitie being upon them, the Plow of the Word cannot get into their hearts; but when afflictions or ſickneſs comes, then the Plow of the Word can get in, and caſt up the fallow ground of their hearts: times of Affliction do bring men and women to the Word. Therfore I remember I have read of Chryſoſtom, in a Sermon of hi p. 300to the people of Antioch, where he preached, he tells them, When they were in trouble, then their Congregations were thruſt and filled: It was at ſuch a time when Theodocius the Emperor by the Inſtigation of the Empreſs, his Wife, was angrie with the Citie, and threatned to come againſt it and deſtroy it in a Warlike manner: then all the people got together, and the Congregations were thruſt; and then they prayed and ſighed, and great and much prayer there was, when they were afraid the King would come in anger againſt the Citie to deſtroy it: So that afflictions and troubles, and fears, they do bring men and women to the means of grace, and they do further the means of grace, and make the means to be profitable many times: As it is with the Seed that is ſowen, if there be a dry hot time after the ſowing, it lies under the clods, and comes not up; but if there come rain, then that which was ſowen divers weeks before, ſprings up. So we ſow the Word of God in your hearts, but the Seed lies under the clods ſo long as there is the hot Sun-ſhine of proſperitie, till afflictions come, and the rain of affliction brings the Word out, and then ſomwhat appears. We have known men that never ſeemed to be wrought on by the Word, yet when God hath laid his hand upon them in ſome affliction, then there hath been brought to their remembrance ſuch a Truth that they heard ſuch a time, and then they have acknowledged the power of the Word, and Conſcience hath then been awakened, and not before. I remember it is reported p. 301of Beza, that famous Inſtrument of God in the Church, That being a Papiſt, and living in Paris, and in great Honor, as he was there, being a man of great Eſteem, and good Birth, and had Preferments there; yet he had often times miſgiving thoughts that he was not right, that the Popiſh Religion was not right, and that the Proteſtants were in the right, becauſe he had read the Scriptures and compared the Controverſie; yet becauſe of his great Honors and preferments in Paris, all went away and could not prevail: but God laid upon him a great ſickneſs, and great afflictions, and then that which he had but overly upon his ſpirit before, now ſunk into his heart more deeply, that as ſoon as he began to recover, he left Paris, and all his Preferments, and got to Genevah, and there made publick profeſſion of the Truth. Thus Afflictions further the means of grace; but it is otherwiſe with Sin, that, if let alone, hardens the heart deſperately againſt all the means of grace: Though it be true, God may ſomtimes put forth his Almightie Power, and notwithſtanding all the ſin in the ſoul of a man or woman, he may make the means of grace effectual; though mans heart be never ſo ſtout and ſtubborn in their waies of ſin, yet God may pleaſe to come by his Almightie Power, and over power the heart, as he doth manie times; yea, God ſometimes lets men go on in horrible wickedneſs, to manifeſt his power the more: As the Prophet Elijah; when he would have fire come to devour the Sacrifice, he poured much water upon it, p. 302that ſo the Power of God might the more be manifeſted: ſo God ſuffers deluges of ſin to be ſomtimes in men and women, that he might magnifie his Power ſo much the more in the efficacie of the means of grace: But yet we are to know that ſin, and every ſin of its own Nature, doth harden the heart againſt God in the uſe of all the means of grace; yea, and ſo hardens the heart, that if men and women live any long time under the means of grace, and continue in the waies of ſin, it is a thouſand to one whether ever they be wrought upon afterward: uſually we find where the means of grace comes to any place, it works for the moſt part at the firſt; I do not, nor will not limit God, but for the moſt part at firſt it works upon men and women, before they have by ſin hardened themſelves againſt it; if once they have continued ſome little time under it, and their hearts have followed their ſin, and ſo come to be hardened, it is I ſay a moſt dangerous thing, and manie times God for ever leaves them to their hardneſs; yea, ſuch evil there may be in ſin, as if a man or woman hath an enlightened conſcience, and ſhal go againſt the light of their conſcience, when they live under the means of grace, any one ſin againſt the light of conſcience may for ever harden them. Thou that haſt come to the Word and haſt heard, theſe things thou knoweſt hath come neer to thy ſoul, and yet there hath been that violence of corruption to go againſt the light of thy conſcience, and that particular truth that hath been made known unto thee from p. 303God, that one ſin may be enough evil to harden thy heart, that the means ſhall never do thee good; therefore there is a great, deal more evil in ſin than in any affliction. I beſeech you conſider of this one note further in it; God comes manie times, yea, uſually with abundance of grace to the ſouls of men and women in their affliction, and that in the continuance of their afflictions, and in the encreaſe of their afflictions, yet the means of grace work; but God can never come with grace while they ſin, except ſin be decreaſed; I ſay, God never comes to make any means of grace effectual, but it muſt be with the decreaſe, and with the taking away of ſin; the means of grace may be effectual with the encreaſe of affliction, but the means of grace can never be effectual but with the decreaſe of ſin: therefore there is more evil in ſin than in affliction, as againſt our ſelves.

CHAP. XXXVIII.

XV. Sin is worſe to us than Affliction, becauſe Sin brings more ſhame than Affliction.

XV. THere is more evil in Sin than in Affliction as againſt our ſelves, In regard of the ſhame that it doth bring; Sin brings more ſhame than any Affliction brings, Rom. 6. 20. What profit, or what fruit had you in thoſe p. 304things whereof you be now aſhamed? Sin, it is that which brings ſhame, not only to a man or woman in particular, but likewiſe to a whol Nation, when ſin prevails. Prov. 14. 34. Righteouſneſs exalteth a Nation, but ſin is a reproach to any People. Afflictions are not a reproach any further than as they be the fruit of ſin, and then there is ſhame in them (but this we ſhall ſpeak of afterward) but ſin is the proper cauſe of any reproach and ſhame: and certainly this Scripture hath been fulfilled concerning us; our ſin hath been a reproach to this Nation: there was a time, this Nation was honored among other Nations, and a terror to them; but of late ſince we have ſinned and grown Superſtitious, and come neerer unto Poperie, ſince there hath been more wickedneſs among us. This Nation hath been an exceeding reproach: we may apply for that, that in the 13, of Hoſea, according to the Interpretation of moſt, When Ephraim ſpake, trembling, he exalted himſelf in Iſrael; but when he offended in Baal, he died; thus Interpreters carrie it: There was a time when Ephraim ſpake, then was trembling in all Nations about him, and he exalted himſelf above other Nations: but when he ſinned in Baal, then he died, his Honor died, he was a dead Nation, and no body regarded him. True, time was, when England ſpake, there was trembling, and England exalted himſelf above other Nations; but ſince we ſinned in Baal, and there hath been ſo much Idolatry and Superſtition, we have been a dead Nation in reſpect of what we have been before. Sin is p. 305a reproach, to any Nation a ſhame: There is no ſuch ſhame in Affliction as there is in ſin; that brings ſhame. That which argues worthleſneſs in any, that which argues there is little good or worth in any: or if any one ſhould do any thing unbeſeeming either his own excellency, or that ſuppoſed to be in him; as to lie in the mire, or to go naked, or in their carriage, or by any deportment, to behave themſelves beſides that excellency ſuppoſed to be in him, this brings ſhame. Job 30. 7. Thoſe that went up and down braying among the buſhes, it was contemptible, and it was a ſhame: So for any man to do any thing beneath the excellency of a man, is a ſhame. Now there is nothing ſo below the excellency of a man as ſin, no Affliction brings a man under his excellency as ſin doth, therefore no Affliction can be ſuch a ſhame to man as ſin.

Now the Rational Creature that is guided by Counſel in his actions is the proper ſubject of ſhame: Bruit beaſts cannot be capable of ſhame, becauſe they have no Counſel to be the cauſe of their Actions, but the reaſonable Creature failing in that which is his aim, coming ſhort of the rule of his work, through his unſkilfulneſs this cauſeth ſhame. As now, Take any workman, if he do any work beneath the rule of the work through unſkilfulneſs, it cauſeth ſhame, he comes to be aſhamed of it. Now ſin muſt needs bring ſhame, becauſe it comes beneath the Rule of eternal Life, and therefore muſt needs cauſe ſhame. It is true, in natural things to fail through ignorance is a greater ſhame than to fail through p. 306wilfulneſs; but in ſpirituals, the greater ſhame is to fail through wilfulneſs. And the greater the Art, the greater the ſhame to come ſhort of the Rule of that Art: As ſuppoſe a General; it is a greater ſhame for him to fail, and come ſhort of the Rules of Military Art, than for a Country-man to come ſhort of his Rules of Husbandry, becauſe one is more noble than the other. Now Brethren, The Art of Divinity to guide to eternal Life, is the moſt Noble of any Art; and for any Creature to fail and come ſhort of this Art, is the greateſt ſhame that can be. Though men be aſhamed of any thing elſe, take a Painter, or any Workman or a Husbandman, if he come ſhort of the Rule, he is aſhamed, but if men fail of the Rule of eternal Life, they are not aſhamed then. I Remember Auguſtine hath this Expreſſion, ſaith he, A Scholler if he fail in pronouncing a word and pronounce it amiſs, if he pronounce Omer for Homer (he inſtanceth in that) he is aſhamed of that; but men be not aſhamed of breaking the Rules of Divinity: And there is more failings in the Breach of the Rule of Divinity and in failing there, than in any Art whatſoever. Now ſin is the greateſt ſhame, and the Reaſon why ſinners be not aſhamed, is, Becauſe they know not the Excellency of man; they know not wherein the excellency of the Rational Creature conſiſts, and therefore they are not aſhamed of that which brings them under the excellency of the Rational Creature. Beſides, They know not Gods infinite Holineſs, therefore are not aſhamed; p. 307They be now among other ſinners, and they think though ſome ſeem to be Religious, yet they think others are as bad as themſelves in their hearts at leaſt, though not in Practice: As Nero, becauſe he was bad, he thought others were as bad as himſelf. So a wicked man, when he cannot ſee others break out in ſuch great ſins as he doth, yet he thinks they are as bad ſome other way, and have ſome other ſins as great. And becauſe they live among them that are as bad as themſelves, and live in the ſame ſins, therefore they are not aſhamed: For as a Collier living among Colliers is not aſhamed, but if he lived among Princes and Noblemen, he would be aſhamed. So wicked men in this world becauſe they live in this world among ſinners, they conceive to be ſinners like themſelves they be not aſhamed; but when God ſhall come to open what ſin means, and what the Holineſs of God means, and they ſee themſelves ſtand in the preſence of the holy God, then they will be aſhamed. But certainly ſin is a greater-ſhame than Affliction; none need be aſhamed of Affliction any further-than it hath a Connexion to ſome great ſin; but ſin in the greateſt proſperity hath ſhame with it.

p. 308CHAP. XXXIX.

He that Sins, wrongeth, diſpiſeth, and hateth his own Soul. Uſe 1. Then ſee the malitiouſneſs that is in Sin. Uſe 2. To pitty thoſe that go on in ſinful wayes. Uſe 3. Let Sin be dealt hardly with.

THus we have Diſcovered how Sin makes more againſt our good, than Affliction doth. Now there be divers things which follow hence as Conſequences: I ſpake of one or two before, I will name them no more: But only thus far, Hence we ſee that ſin makes more againſt our ſelves, than any thing elſe; Therefore it is the worſt way for any to provide for themſelves by giving way to live in any ſinful courſe. And for this I ſhall ad Two or Three Scriptures I ſpake not of before, to ſhew how men go againſt themſelves, and thoſe men that think to provide beſt for themſelves, the truth is in the wayes of ſin, they go moſt againſt themſelves: You have theſe Three notable Expreſſions for this in Scripture:

Firſt, That men by Sin, wrong their own Souls.

Secondly, That they Diſpiſe their own Souls.

Thirdly, They Hate their own Souls.

If I ſhould Charge theſe Three things upon the moſt vile ſinner at this preſent before the p. 309Lord; Oh thou doſt wrong thy own ſoul, Thou doſt deſpiſe thy own ſoul, Thou hateſt thy own ſoul, he would be loth to yeild to it; and yet the Scripture chargeth this upon ſinners, Prov. 8. 36. He that ſins againſt me, wrongs his own ſoul: he doth not only wrong God, that was in the firſt thing we opened; but by ſin he wrongs his own ſoul: You will ſay ſomtimes, I do no body wrong, I thank God none can ſay I wrong them; but thou wrongeſt thine own ſoul, and certainly it is as great an evil to wrong thy own ſoul, as to wrong the Body of another, and a great deal more. Nay further (mark) All they that hate me (that is, Wiſdom and Inſtruction, the Rule of Liſe) they love death: It is a ſtrange expreſſion; if any Miniſter ſhould ſay thus to you, you love death, you would think it a raſh ſpeech from us: the Holy Ghoſt ſaith ſo of al that hate Inſtruction; if there be any Truth of God revealed againſt ſin, and thy heart riſe againſt it, thou loveſt death, thy own ruine, and thy own deſtruction: And what pitie is it for men and women to die? who can pitie them that die eternally, when as they love death? if they love death, they muſt have it: So the Holy Ghoſt ſaith, they wrong their ſouls, and they love death; and Prov. 15. 32. He that refuſeth Inſtruction, deſtiſeth his own ſoul: when you come and hear any Inſtruction againſt any ſinful way, and refuſe it, you deſpiſe your own ſouls; as if your own ſouls were worth little. Hence it is that men and women, though they hear Sin tends to the death of their ſouls, to their eternal p. 310ruine, yet if they have but any temptation, but to get a groat or ſixpence, they will venture upon it: what is this but to deſpiſe thy ſoul? that is to deſpiſe a thing, to account it little worth: though thy ſoul be worth a whol world. There is none ſo poor in this place, the meaneſt boy, ſervant; or girl, but hath a ſoul more worth than Heaven and Earth; but though the meaneſt here hath a ſoul more worth than the World, yet we ſee it ordinarie, that to get twopence or a groat, they will venture the ruine of their ſouls: Is not this to deſpiſe their ſouls? as if they were not worth a groat or ſixpence; and they will lye or ſteal to get that which is leſs: Nay, not onlie ſo, but they are haters of their own ſouls; and this you have Prov. 29. 24. He that is partner with a Thief, hates his own ſoul: there is an inſtance in that one ſin, but it is true of everie ſin; for this muſt be taken as a rule to help you to underſtand the evil of ſin, Know what is ſaid of any one ſin, is vertually true of all; that evil which is in any one ſin, is vertually in any ſin, he hates his own ſoul that goes on in anie one ſin: therefore if you will provide for your own good, you muſt abandon ſin.

Object. But it may be ſaid, Is that Lawful for a man to abſtain from ſin out of ſelf reſpects? for this I am upon, I am ſhewing how ſin is againſt our ſelves, and therfore urge you to abandon, and take heed of ſin as it is againſt our ſelves; then this Queſtion ariſeth, What ſhould we abſtain from ſin out of ſelf reſpects? what good is in this? is that from grace?

To that I anſwer three things.

p. 311Anſw. 1. That at firſt when God doth begin to work upon the ſoul, God doth uſually move us from ſelf moſt; and theſe ſelf grounds works moſt to take men and women off from the acts of their ſin (from outward acts at leaſt) and to ſtop them from the commiſſion of ſin and bring them to the means of grace; ſelf motives God makes uſe of at firſt: but yet the work is not done till the ſoul goeth beyond theſe: it is good for men and women to abſtain from ſin upon any grounds; there is ſo much evil in ſin, that upon any grounds men and women abſtaining from ſin, it is well, but only except it be ſuch a ground, that the ground it ſelf be a greater ſin than the ſin I abſtain from. But yet the work is not done: Therefore

2. Know, That though when grace is come into the ſoul, God uſeth ſelf arguments, and ſelf motives to further the abſtaining from ſin (and it is Lawful to do ſo) yet ſelf motives, and ſelf arguments be not the chief and higheſt of all. But

3. That which I moſt pitch upon, and moſt fully anſwereth this Queſtion is this; That if we did but know wherein our ſelf good conſiſts, which is certainly to live to God; our ſelf good is in this, not only the glory of God, but our own good and happineſs; our ſelf good is in our living to God, that infinite firſt-Being of all things. Now if we underſtand this, I ſay, that thing which is our ſelf good, we may make to be our higheſt aim in abſtaining from ſin, and in doing any good; that thing w^ch is our ſelf good: p. 312but we muſt not make it our higheſt aim as it is our ſelf good, we muſt look to God above our ſelves; but ſtill the ſame thing that is our ſelf good, our own good, may be made our higheſt aim of all, which is our living to God and his praiſe. Thus God hath connexed our good and his glorie together, that the ſame thing which is the higheſt end of all I muſt aim at, to wit, Gods glorie and his praiſe, that is alſo our higheſt good; and ſo we may aim at it in our chief aims.

Secondly, If ſin make ſo againſt us, I ſhall give you Three uſes of it.

Ʋſe 1. Then we from hence ſee the deſperate maliciouſneſs that is in ſin. It follows thus: What for a Creature to ſin againſt the bleſſed God, and to get no good to himſelf neither, yea, to do hurt to himſelf too; this is horrible miſchief and malice. We account it horrible malice againſt man, if any man be ſo notoriouſly malicious, that he ſeeks to do miſchief to another man though he get no good, yea, though he hurt himſelf by it, yet he will do another man a miſchief: certainly if this be maliciouſneſs againſt man, then there is certainly malice in ſin againſt God: for when thou ſinneſt againſt God; ſuppoſe thou ſhouldeſt get never ſo much good, ſuppoſe thou by ſin, one ſin, couldeſt get the the greateſt good that ever any Creature had, yet thou muſt not commit it; it were wickedneſs to do it: But what ſayeſt thou to this, that when thou ſinneſt againſt God, thou miſchiefeſt thy ſelf; not only getteſt no good, but doeſt p. 313that which is the greateſt wrong and evil to thy ſelf, and yet wilt thou go on in ſin againſt God? Oh what doſt thou think of God? and what hurt hath God done to thee that thou ſhouldeſt be ſo malicious againſt him? that thou wilt diſhonor him, and ſtrike at him? though thou getteſt nothing thy ſelf, nay, though thou doeſt undo thy ſelf by it: men will rather go on in that way that is diſhonorable to God though they venture their own damnation to do it. It is one of the higheſt expreſſions we can have againſt our Enemies, I will be even with him, I will have my mind of him, or I wilſpend al I have to a groat; this is deſperate malice in man, we account it ſo. Thou doſt more againſt God, though thou ſaieſt not ſo, it may be, in word, yet God ſees that there is this language in it, well, I will do that which the Word forbids though I undo my ſelf, I will venture my own periſhing, my own eternal deſtruction, rather than that ſhall not be done that I hear God will not have done: there is this in every Sin. Brethren, becauſe we do not examine what is in ſin, we think it but a little, we ſee but the outſide; but when God comes to unravle out Sin, and to pick out all that his Omniſcient eye ſeeth in ſin, then it will appear to be evil, tranſcendantly evil.

Ʋſe 2. If Sin have ſo much evil in it more than Affliction as againſt our ſelves, Then it ſhould teach us all to look with pity, and abundance of commiſſeration upon men and women that go on in waies of ſin. Ah poor Creatures, they undo themſelves, their waies are againſt themſelves, and they wil work p. 314their own ruine and miſery by theſe waies of theirs: You that are Tradeſmen, if you ſee a man going on in way of Trading, ſo that you know certainly that he will undo himſelf, you look upon him with pitie; poor yong man, he goeth on in ſuch a way as he will undo himſelf; you pitie him upon that ground, becauſe he undoes himſelf: the more hand a man hath in doing himſelf hurt, the more he is to be pitied: As you Marriners, if you ſee one at Sea, go through ignorance, ſo that he will be by and by ſplit into the Sea, or you know he will be by and by upon the Rocks and Sands, and he is wilful in his way, you pitie him, he is an object of pitie Doeſt thou ſee any man or woman, thy father or mother, brother or ſiſter, huſband or wife, or any thou loveſt dearly, going on in wayes of ſin, Oh pity them; let thy heart bleed over them poor wretches, they will undo themſelves, ſplit themſelves eternally. If thou ſhouldeſt ſee a Company of men ſtab and murder themſelves, and lying dead in the ſtreets, if it ſhould be aſked how came they dead? and it ſhould be anſwered every one of them murthered himſelf; were it not an object of pity? if you ſee men & women go on in ſin, every one ſtabs, and murders, and miſchiefs themſelves, and cuts their own throats, this is the way of ſin: and though they do not ſee it themſelves, yet if God open their eyes they will ſee it; and certainly they ſhall ſee it ere long, and they will be forced to cry out in the bitterneſs of their ſouls, Wo to me, wo to me, I am loſt and undone, and I have p. 315uddone my ſelf. Therefore Brethren we ſhould not look upon ſinners now as they are in the height of their proſperity and the rufe of their pride, but look upon them as within a little time they will be; look upon them in their end, and then learn to pity them. Although ſinners go on conceitedly, and boaſt themſelves in their evil wayes for the preſent, pity them ſo much the more, for the more any ſinner is conceited and boaſts in his way, the more dangerous is his condition, the more dangerous ſign the ſeal of God is upon him to ſeal him to deſtruction. The more conceited any man is in any thing that will ruin him, the more lamentable is the object therfore. Though we many times when we ſee men under grievous Afflictions, you go to your neighbors and ſee them lie under Gods hand, grievous pains and tortures of body, Crying out dolfully, it makes your hearts bleed, and drawes tears from your eyes; and you ſay, Oh the lamentable condition this man or woman is in; you pity them in affliction, becauſe they are in ſuch grievous pain. But now you have another neighbor by, and you hear him ſwearing, certainly though you pity the other neighbor under affliction, yet to hear him ſwear is more pitiful than to hear the other roar out in the moſt grievous torture that any man or woman was ever in▪ When we hear them in torture, we have our hearts bleed, and are not affected with their ſinning, this is a ſign we know not the evil of ſin. Further, if you ſhould hear one in the anguiſh of Conſcience crying out, I am undone, p. 316I am damned, I am damned; in the anguiſh of his Conſcience thus crying out, of hell, and of the devil, you look upon ſuch with pity: Now this I ſay, Thoſe that are in the greateſt torment of Conſcience for their ſin, they are in a better Caſe than thoſe that go on moſt conceitedly, and boaſting in their ſin. Do you ſee one that is your neighbor, or in your family, or friend, when he is rebuked or reproved for any ſin, that is careleſs and hardened in ſin; I ſay, This man or woman, ſervant or child, is in a worſe condition and a more lamentable object than if you ſhould ſee another in the greateſt horror, and anguiſh, and trouble of Conſcience, crying out moſt bitterly of ſin: For there is a great deal more hope of this man or woman that cryes out in anguiſh of Conſcience for ſin, he may be ſaved, and not eternally ruined by ſin, there is more hopes a great deal; therefore learn who is to be pitied; for ſin is more againſt our own good, than any affliction.

Ʋſe 3. If Sin be ſo much againſt our ſelves, Then learn to have ſin hardly dealt withal: For thus it follows, That which we look upon as our own enemy, we are willing ſhould be hardly dealt withal: Now, nothing ſuch an enemy to our good, as ſin is. If you apprehend any one hath done you hurt, or intends to do you hurt, you think you may take liberty to let out your ſelf to the utmoſt to revenge your ſelf; but this is ſinful, and the diſtemper of your hearts to do ſo: But you men and women that have your hearts filled with revenge, becauſe you conceive p. 317others have done you hurt; here is an object God gives you leave to let out your revenge to the full upon; other men do you hurt, therefore you think you may let out revenge, that is your wickedneſs, for vengeance belongs to God; but ſin doth you hurt more than any man can, and in this God lets you have leave to revenge your ſelves upon ſin. Revenge your ſelves as much as you can; look upon it as moſt miſchievous. There be ſome ſuch ſpiteful and revengful men, revengeful and ſpiteful diſpoſitions that have it lie mouldring at their hearts, becauſe they cannot let it out upon objects, ſo much as they would; now here is an object you may let it out as much as you can, to revenge your ſelves, and to ſeek the ruine and deſtruction of ſin; and to labor to uſe it as hardly as poſſibly you can: yea, it is made in Scripture a ſign of true Repentance to be willing to revenge ones ſelf upon ſin, 2 Cor. 7. 11. when they had committed ſin, what revenge was there, ſaith the Apoſtle; they manifeſted their repentance by revenge upon ſin: follow thy ſin with a deadly hatred if thou wilt; thou haſt a hateful diſpoſition againſt others, follow ſin with as deadly a hatred as thou canſt. It was an Argument of Davids heart cleaving to Abſalom when Joab was to go againſt him, Ʋſe the yong man kindly for my ſake, ſaith he; this was an argument Davids heart was with him: So when you would fain have ſin uſed kindly, gently, it is an argument your hearts are not ſet againſt ſin ſo much as they ſhould: No, you ſhould not ſay, uſe ſin kindly, p. 318but roughly and hardly; as the Prophet ſaid of one that came to deſtroy him, uſe him roughly when he comes at the door: ſo when ſin comes to the door, when temptations be ſeeking to have entrance, uſe them roughly at the door, and ſay, Let the righteous ſmiteme, Oh that the Word might come as a two edged Sword to ſtab and ſlay my ſin; Oh that when I go to hear the Word, I might meet with ſome hard thing againſt ſin. Thus we ſhould come when we come to the Word, and when ſin hath got a blow by the Word of God, bleſs God, and ſay, bleſſed be God, my ſins this day have got a blow; this ſin of mine that hath done me ſo much hurt, and ſo peſtered me, and ſo hindred my peace and comfort, bleſſed be God this day it hath got a blow: thus we ſhould do becauſe Sin makes ſo much againſt our ſelves. And thus we have finiſhed the Two Firſt Heads of Sins being againſt God, and againſt our ſelves. Now there be Four more.