The Cure of Misprision, Section 39 – Section 43
Sect. 39.
Firſt, Be the ſinne never ſo ſmall, yet God hath forbidden it, and Chriſt ſuffered for it as well as the greateſt. An evil thought, or a vain word, can no more be juſtified then a wicked action. The Law is ſpirituall, and binds the heart from affecting, no leſſe then the hand from acting. Yea, it injoines us to ſhun the very occaſions, or leaſt appearances, or firſt motions of ſinne: aſwell as actuall ſinne it ſelfe. Beſides the committing of the leaſt ſingle ſinne, is the breach of the whole Law: Ja: 2. 10. and an offence to that God, who is almighty, in power, and infinite in love: which is ground ſufficient to any that truly fear God: who doe not ſo much ſcan the weight of the thing, as the authority and goodneſſe of the commander.
And certainly if the ſmalleſt curſe of God, be too great to ſuffer: the ſmalleſt ſinne againſt God, is too great to doe. Neither can it ſtand with repentance, to favour our ſelves in any one ſinne, though never ſo ſmall: for ſound repentance turnes the back upon all ſinnes. And ſaith unto God, as once Ruth to Naomi, Ruth 3. All that thou biddeſt me, I will do, be it great or ſmall in the worlds account.
Now God commands us (and I pray mark it) to be pure, 1 Tim, 5. keep thy ſelf pure ſaith St. Paul to Timothy verſ, 22. And bleſſed are the pure in heart, for they ſhall ſee God. Matth. 5. 8. which implies No purity, no bleſſednes. And likewiſe to be holy, yea ſhall be a holy people unto me ſaith God. Exod. 22. 31. and without holines no man ſhall ſee the Lord. Heb. 12, 14. Yea we are commanded to be holy in all manner of converſation; even as Chriſt was holy. 1 Pet. 15. And Paul writing to the converted Corinths, uſeth theſe words: The Temple of God is holy, which Temple ye are. 1 Cor. 3. 17, And again, Seeing we have theſe premiſes dearely beloved, let us cleanſe our ſelves from all filthineſſe of the fleſh and ſpirit: and grow up unto full holines in the fear of God. 2 Cor. 7. 1.
Thirdly, We are commanded to bee perfect, and that as God is perfect: yee ſhall be perfect as your Father which is in heaven is perfect, ſaith our ſaviour. Matth. 5. 48. And St. Peter, Beloved, be diligent, that ye may be found of him in peace, without ſpot, and blameleſſe: 2 Pet. 3. 14. with many the like. And how can wee indeavour a…ter, or indeed deſire this holines, purity, and perfection in the leaſt, if we make not conſcience of al ſin, and of every duty? yet thou like a wicked, and prophane wretch as thou art: doſt jeere and ſcoffe at thoſe, that make conſcience of ſmall ſins, and are ſcrupulous of doing what thou doſt, and wouldſt have them to doe. But little doſt thou know or conſider who ſets thee on work: and what this thy flouting at purity and holineſſe will one day coſt thee; In the mean time know, that ſuch have no good conſciences, who dare gratifie Satan in committing the leaſt ſin, or neglect God in the ſmalleſt precept.
I grant there is a firſt, and a ſecond: a great, and another commandement. Matth 22. 38. 39. But that ſecond or other, is like unto it. verſ. 39. Therefore ſacrifice, muſt not turne mercy out of doors, as Sarah did Hagar: Nor the flame of zeal, conſume the moiſture of …harity, as the fire from heaven dranke up the water put to Eliahs ſacrifice. But our Saviours rule, is both plaine, and home to the point in hand: theſe things ought ye to have done (ſpeaking of the greater matters of the law) and not to have left the other undone: viz. the ſmaller matters, as tything of mint, and annyſe, and cummyn. Matth. 23. verſe 23▪ But,
Sect. 40.
Secondly, Gods people make conſcience of the leaſt ſinne, becauſe ſmall ſins, like little wedges make way unto greater: or as little theeves being let in at a window, will ſet open large doors, for greater theeves to come in at. Yea from very ſmall evils, not let at the beginning: ſpring oftentimes great and mighty miſchiefes; as for example, pilfering a few plums to pleaſe the pallat, makes way for a lye, a lye makes way for an oath, and an oath having paſt both undiſcovered and unpuniſhed, makes way for downright perjury. And ſo in other caſes, asw ho would have thought that Davids wanton look, ſhould have begot murther, which (together with his adultery) would have been prevented, had he but with Job, made a covenant with his eyes. Whereas admit the ſerpents head, his body will ask no leave. Yea if the tempter but gets in his claw, by our willing toleration and continuance of one luſt: it ſhall be hard but he will thereby procure room for greater evils to enter. Neither can thy ſoul or mine be in ſafety, without a reſolute defiance of every ſin: for yeeld to one, and ye invite many; relieve one, and all the reſt will croud in for almes.
Neither is it any praiſe to be ſparing of a vicious delight, for the very laſt is deadly: the leaſt ſinne ſerving in ſome meaſure, to harden our hearts, defile our conſciences, and blind our minds, aſwell as greater▪
Sect. 41.
Thirdly, They ſcruple whatſoever is ſinfull: becauſe no ſin can be light or ſmall in him, whom God hath ſo much obliged & honoured, as of a bondſlave to Satan, and firebrand of hell; to adopt him his ſon, and aſſure him of an immortall kingdom: for ſuch know, that ſin is Gods mortall enemy: whence he argues thus; The great and holy God will not diſgeſt, that any ſhall make leagues of amity with the meaneſt of his enemies: much leſſe that his owne endeered child, for whom he hath done ſo much, ſhould make the temple of the holy Ghoſt, an habitation for that gueſt he hates ſo deadly. And the holines of the perſon, adds much to the unholin…s of the act. Eminency of profeſſion, doubles both the offence, and the judgement. As how hainouſly did the Lord take, that ſeeming ſmall ſin in Hezekiah: when he did but ſhew the Babiloniſh Ambaſſadors all his treaſures, and what puniſhment did he threaten for the ſame: which was accordingly accompliſhed: 2 Kings 20. 15. 17. 18. What ſin would a man think could be ſmaller then that of the Prophet? when he but turned into the other Prophets houſe to eate bread: being hungry, and alſo preſuming that he had a warrant from God ſo to do. 1 Kings 13. yet he loſt his life for it. And we ſee how Vzza, for onelyonly putting his hand to the Arke to ſtay it, when the oxen did ſhake it, a ſmall ſin will a carnall heart ſay; And yet the Lord for this ſmall ſinne, in great wroth ſmore him that he dyed in the ſame place. 2 Sam. 6. 7. The Philiſtims handled it far more rudely, and irreverently: and yet moſt of them eſcaped with far leſſe puniſhment, if any at all. 1 Sam. 5. 1. 2, Yea, read we not of more then fifty thouſand Bethſhemites, ſtroke dead in the place? For only looking into the Ark. 1 Sam. 6. 19. to teach us, that no ſin is light or ſmall ſo long as it is forbidden.
The Church is to God, as a Houſe, a Garden, a Spouſe: And wee know that men who will abide durt in the ſtreets, will not endure it in their Houſes: they that will ſuffer weeds in the field, will not permit them in their Gardens: men that can beare with wanton carriages in a Strumpet; will not endure an unchaſt looke in their Spouſe: No marvell then, if God will not endure ſmall ſinnes in his beloved: and deale more ſeverely with them then with others▪ Therefore it behoves all that have an intereſt in him, to be carefull what they doe: and not to offend him willfully, by the leaſt provocation. But
Sect. 42.
Fourthly, They make conſcience of ſmall ſinnes; becauſe the wages of ſinne (be it ſmall or great) is death. Rom 6. 23.
Nor is any ſin ſmall, but comparatively, Luke 11. 42. That diſtinction which the Papiſts uſe, of mortall, and veniall ſinnes: never tooke its ground from Gods word. Or admit the act bee ſmall, yet the Cercomſtances may make it deadly. And by how much eaſier the Law, by ſo much ſorer the puniſhment, for breaking that Law. Quo levius mandatum, eo gravius delictum: ſaith Auſtine. In difficult precepts; the obedience is more acceptable: but in light commands, the omiſſion is more Damnable: ſaith Barnard.
We may ſay of this or that ſinne, as Lot of Zoar, is it not a little one? Or as Ananias might have ſaid of his ſinne, I did it but once: but that one little ſin, be it what it will: will everlaſtingly damn us, if wee ſue not out a pardon for it, in the blood of Chriſt.
Beſides, how were the Angels in Heaven puniſhed for one fault? Adam for one Apple: Moſes for one unbeleefe? Ely for his indulgence only? Ananias ſold a poſſeſſion for the Churches releefe: he only told a lye, nimed a little, he thought the Holy Ghoſt had no need of it, or could not miſſe it: but that lye that little coſt him deare.
Alaſſe one flaw in a Diamond, takes away the luſtre and the price. One peece of Ward Land, makes the Heir lyable to the King. And one ſin will keepe poſſeſſion for Sathan as well as twenty.
2 What is a Mountain of Earth, but an acumulation of many little duſts? Or what is a Flood, but a concurrence of many little drops; One haire doth not hang a man, many haires twiſted together will▪ even our luſts, are able to ſerve us like Abſalom, and halter us at the next bough. Many threds make a Cord: many Cordes a Cable: and Cables hold huge Veſſels.
If actuall ſinne be a ſword, every little luſt is a ſharp thorne: And a little prick with a thorne neglected, may feſter to an agangreen. A little Pinne, eſpecially being poyſoned; may prove mortall, as well as a great weapon. And what matters it, whether a man receive his death from a Piſtol, or a great Ordnance? Yea, oftentimes, a wind that comes in at a crany, or …revice, or ſome narrow paſſage, doth a man more hurt then an open ſtorme.
Sect. 43.
Fifthly, It hath beene ever Gods wont; by ſmall precepts to proue mens diſpoſitions: as hee proved Adam in the prohibited fruit: and the evill ſervant with one talent. Yea, had not the reſt well improved their talents, they had been taken away inſtead of being doubled. But God firſt credits … with leſſe things, as men prove veſſels with water, before they truſt them with Wine. And ſmall precepts from God, are both as ſtrong bands, and leaſt things as great tryalls of a good conſcience, as the greateſt Obedience is as well tyed, and tryed: and diſobedience as well puniſhed in a little as in much.
Many think they may ly a little for advantage, or anſwer when told of it; Oh this is a very ſm…ll matter: but the truth is theſe little ones, theſe ſmall matters; are great evidences of evill, and large conſciences, For what ſaith our Saviour? He that is faithfull in that which is leaſt, is faithfull alſo in much: and he that is unjust in the leaſt, is unjuſt alſo in much, Luke 16. 10. As wee ſee in Judas, who beeing a theefe, and unfaithfull to Chriſt in the matter of money, proved alſo unfaithfull to him in the matter of Life it ſelfe.
The Centinell that will paſſe a Spye, dares betray the Hoſt: Sampſon might eaſily have conſidered ſo much in his Harlot; if luſt had not bewitched him; Shee that will ſell her body to mee; will as well ſell mee to others, Shee will be falſe, if ſhee will bee a Strumpet.
To ſerve God in ſome things, leſſe repugnant to our corrupt nature: and in other duties to be recuſants, is a heteroclite, or a defective obedience. But the true Catholique hath a catholique care: and makes conſcience of all that God commands. Totus, tota, totum. The whole man, the whole law, the whole time of his life as one wittily. He ſets not the two tables at varience: both which, as they were of one quorry: ſo they looked equally to the law maker: as the two Cherubins to the mercy ſeat. Neither is he to bee truſted in any thing, that makes nota conſcience of every thing.