The Sinners Hope, Sermon · Chapter 11
CAP. XI.
The truth improved to the Godly in reſpect of any prevayling Sin.
2 MAke uſe of the duty of this doctrine in reſpect of ſin: And this wil. be of uſe in reſpect of comfort toe. And it may be ſome Souls ſit down in this receſs of ſorrow, and deſpondency becauſe of ſin, ſome prevalent ſin is ſtill in them, and they think they ſhall never get the better of it, that there is no hope about that veine and way of ſin they find within them. But God hath not ſhut you up in this thing.
Some ſin that is prevalent, and you have long ſtriven againſt do not conclude that it will never be otherwiſe, and ſo to deſpair about it, either
1. Thence to give over ſtriving, and to make ſome diſhonourable truce, to give ſome tolleration to that corruption, to ſtrike ſome way to caſt that to the latter ends, to put it among thy neceſſary infirmities, as it is hard to fight long with a Sin. Or
2. Thence to conclude thy eſtate to be carnall becauſe of the prevalency of that ſin. Do not either conclude for the ſin or againſt thy ſelfe, becauſe it is ſo with thee: there is yet Hope left thee about this thing. For,
1. Thou knoweſt the badneſs of no bodys heart but thine own. It may be thou concludeſt thine to be deſperate becauſe thou thinkeſt none like to it, but thou knoweſt none but it, that makes thee think ſo. There are few of Gods children, but they can vye for thoughts with the worſt thou haſt; if thou knew as much as they know. Thou concludeſt if others knew thy heart they would abhor thee, when as they know enough of their own and cannot abhor themſelves, when a young Divine askt Luther what he thought by ſuch a one that did not believe what he himſelf preached, Melch. Adam.thinking that Luther would have pronounced ſome dreadfull ſentence on ſuch a ſtate. Luther anſwered, I am glad to hear there is ſome body elſe like me, which did immediately much comfort the young Divine. Thou thinkeſt no body elſe is like thee, when as the beſt of Gods Children, could ſhew the ſame things thou ſpeakeſt of, doſt not heare thy ſins ſometimes confeſſEd in publick, and if none had them but thou how ſhould others confeſſe them! It ſeems by that theſe things are ſtirring elſewhere as well as with thee, many a one, whom thou thinkeſt to be free, (or notwithſtanding wouldſt not conclude that he wanted ſincerity for ſuch thoughts) hath the ſame things in him which thou haſt, and thinks the like concerning thee.
2. Thou art the better for thy ſtriving, in that it would be worſe with thee, if thou ſtrivedſt not at al. Though thou haſt not ſuch ſucceſſe as thou wouldſt have, yet thy labour is not loſt. For that corruption which remains notwithſtanding thy ſtriving, how would it prevail much more if thou ſtrivedſt not at all? If the wind and water carry down thy veſſell notwithſtanding thy toile at the Oares, how faſt, and how far would it carry thee if thou toyledſt not all. Therefore this conteſt of thine though it hath not a poſitive yet it hath a privative ſucceſſe. Though, it bring not that good thou wouldſt, yet it hinders a greater degree of evill. Thou art not ſenſibly better but thou art prevented of being ſenſibly worſe, by this conteſt of thine. Here is the profit, that thou art kept from being worſe hereby.
3. This is thy work, this is the ſtate of the Godly. Theſe are the Cananites left in the land to prove thee Theſe are to learn thee war, theſe are left in thee and muſt be ſo while here, there is much grace exerciſed, and left on purpoſe for this end, viz: about the ſin that remains in the Godly. The ſin is evil but thy conteſt with it is part of thy taske, thy work which God requires and accepts of …t thy hands,Gal. 3.17. The fleſh luſteth againſt the ſpirit and the ſpirit againſt the fleſh, and theſe two are contrary. Thou thinkeſt that all ſhould be of one ſide and one party in thee, but it is conſiſtent with the work of grace, to have twins ſtirring in the wombe. Theſe principles are contrary and no marveile if they ſtrive and luſt one againſt another. This is the Meſſenger from Satan to buffet thee, to keepe thee from being exalted above meaſure. Theſe very corruptions keep thee out of harmes another way. The Canaanites remaine to put thee in mind of the native inhabitants of the Land, that thou mayeſt be humbled notwithſtanding any better entrance that is made upon thee. Hezekiah God left him in the matter of the King of Babylon, and it was not to let him know he was an Hypocrite,2. Chro. 12.31. or becauſe he was one, (as thou art apt to conclude, if thou wert right God would not leave thee as he doth, ſuch a ſin ſhould not Lord as it doth.) but it was that he might know all that was in his heart, might know what dangerous ſeeds there were ſtill remaining with him, that he might underſtand what his heart might be truſted in, better then he did before, which might make him carry humbly under the ſignall mercies the Lord had afforded to him.
4. There is roome for growth in the beſt of his Children! They are not ſo good but they may mend, grace ſhould encreaſe and thrive when it is in truth, now thou muſt not take that ſtature to be neceſſary to denominate thee a true Chriſtian, that thou art to grow and thrive unto. Theſe may be things to be endeavoured for; and not to be had at firſt ſetting out. Thou wouldſt have it all at firſt. There is a kind of paine and lameneſs in young ones, that is called the thrift, which is not a down-right lameneſs. And ſoe may this trouble of thine, not be ſo much concerning the truth as the growth of thy grace: many of theſe things thou complaineſt of ſhould rather be the matter of thy future endeavours to overcome them, then markes to judge thy preſent eſtate by: rather things to be ſtriven againſt, then deſpaired from.
5. There is hope about this thing, for thou canſt not goe to God about a buſineſſe that doth better pleaſe him then this is. The Lord will give to his Children riches, and honour and health, &c: which are not things immediately for their ſouls good, and yet he will not deny them theſe things, becauſe they are dear to him: now if thou goe to God for power againſt ſin, and ſtrength ſo duty, Theſe are things the Lord delights in. In theſe things I delight ſaith the Lord,Jer. 9.23. and therefore ſure thou may hope this petition of thine ſhall in time find acceptance. It is a great advantage to petition a King for that which he loves to be asked. Thou haſt Gods will on thy ſide, thou canſt not be ſo againſt ſin, but God is againſt it much more. And therefore thou maieſt hope that in his own time he will help thee about it, and however that he hath his glory from it, or it muſt not abide in thee ſoe quite againſt thy will and his will too.
6. The Lord can eaſily help this thing, matters are not ſo farr gone in thy heart, but the Lord can with one touch of his hand cure all, If Chriſt do but looke back on Peter, he ſhall leave his denying, and ſwearing, and curſing, and fall a weeping. The Spouſe that will not ſtirr to let in Chriſt, if he leave but the droppings of his fingers in the hole of the doo…e, her very bowels ſhall be moved for him. Alas thou thinkeſt this heart of thine is farr ſunk, that it cannot be recovered, at leaſt in no ſmall time, but thou art miſtaken, the Lord can mend all this with one glimpſe of his countenance, It is he that ſtrengtheneth with ſtrength in the Soul. Pſa. 138.3.He hath a notable hand at theſe inward cures, and indeed what cannot almightyneſs do? There is no ſin ſo enterwoven with thee in thy conſtitution and by cuſtome, but the Lord can take thee off it, and no duty thou art ſo averſe unto, but he can bring thee on unto it. It is but the wakening of the wind, (and you know that oft is on a ſuddain) and the garden ſpices ſend forth their pleaſant ſmell. Cant. 4.16The power is in God there is a root in thee, It is but this power ſtirring, and the root in thee ſhall anſwer to it, and thou mayeſt ſoon be of a right temper, and in a right order before him. Saul perſecuted David becauſe he feared his ſupplanting him in the matter of the crown, and no doubt there was not any thing in the world, that went ſo againſt Sauls ſtomach, he could down with any thing better then to let David be King. But yet Saul in a fit, when overcome with Davids kindneſſe, could yeild to this, and could covenant with David when he ſhould be King, to ſhew kindneſs to his family:1. Sam. 24.20. now he could let David be King or any thing; and ſo God can bring that temper upon thee that thou ſhalt yeild to any Duty. Nothing ſhall be ſtuck at by thee, how averſe ſoever thou ſometimes wert unto it. The Lord can change habits and cuſtomes in thy heart,Davenant on Col. 2.2. he can take thee off. The mighty power of God can alter this heart of thine. The man in Gerſom that ſtudied againſt atheiſme, and could never get the better of it, at laſt he prayed that God would help him in it, and he was clean rid of all his horrid temptations this way, and was as really perſwaded of the truth of unſeen things as of the chair he ſate in. The heart of man is deceitfull and deſperately wicked above all things, who can know it? Worſe then men can think, worſe then we ourſelves can diſcover, but he adds, Thou Lord knoweſt, &c: Is this any comfort? yea ſure. The Lord can diſcover and cure this deceit to the very bottome, he knows the heart altogether, thy Soul it may be is like a curious Watch, that at preſent will not goe, the fault thou doeſt not know, but goe it will not, what courſe is to be taken with ſuch a peice? why take this heart this Watch to God. 1. Who made it. 2. Who is the beſt workman. 3. Hath alwaies mended it, and knows the courſe of it, and he is like of any to ſet it a going. An heart that hath ſtood by thee a long time and hath not gone, this glorious artiſt can ſet it a going againe, make it as perfect and better then ever it was, He can ſoone ſee what the matter is with it, whether the fault be in the ſpring, whether any wheele wanting, whether any thing broken, whatever it is, he that made it, can ſoone diſcover. It is but his touching it, and he can ſet it ſtraight and put it into good order as ever it was, and much better: ſo may thy heart be ordered by God which thou ſo much complaineſt of. There is hopes of getting the better of any of theſe ſins for all this.
7.Rom. 7.24. This is to make thee willing to dye. Paul crys out to be rid of this body of death. And ſo ſome ſin will abide with thee, while thou art here, to make thee willing to leave this world to be rid of it. And there is hope we ſhall one of theſe daies dye, and then all this ſin ſhall be parted with.
But in this labour of thine about thy ſin thou mayeſt ſee there is yet ground for thy hope.