Tropes and Figures, Treatise 1 · Head 10 · Part 1
Sin a Thief.
Luke 10.30. And Jeſus anſwered and ſaid, A certain Man went down from Jeruſalem to Jericho, and fell among Thieves, which ſtripped him of his Rayment, and wounded him, leaving him half dead, &c.
THis is generally taken for a Parable, tho 'tis not ſo called, and before I run the Parallel concerning Sin and a Thief; I ſhall very briefly open the whole Parable, according to my preſent Underſtanding, and commit it to better Judgments.
1. By this certain Man, I underſtand the Firſt Adam.
2. By Jeruſalem, that happy State, and Place of Peace, and Reſt, which he enjoyed before his Fall.
3. By his going from Jeruſalem to Jericho, his departing from God, in obeying the Serpent.
4. By Thieves, Sin and Satan, &c. Theſe ſtripped him of his Rayment, viz. His firſt Righteouſneſs, &c. and ſpiritually wounded him, leaving him half dead, i. e. tho he was alive in his Body, he was dead in his Soul: In the Day thou eateſt thereof thou ſhalt ſurely die.
5. By the Prieſt and Levite who had no compaſſion on him, may be meant the Law and Levitical Prieſthood.
6. By the Samaritan, Jeſus Chriſt.
7. By pouring in Wine, the Blood of Jeſus, that precious Fruit of the true Vine; by Oyl, the Holy Spirit, which thoſe receive who partake of the Virtue of Chriſt's Blood, called, the Oyl of Gladneſs.
8. By ſetting him on his own Beaſt, may be intended the Doctrine of the Goſpel; for that, a Doctrine, metaphorically, is ſaid to carry the Soul, as a Beaſt doth the Body; Be not carried about with divers and ſtrange Doctrines, &c. Heb. 13.
9. By the Inn, may be meant the Church of God, for thither the true Doctrine of Chriſt carries Believers.
10. By the Hoſt, the Miniſter or Paſtor of the Church.
11. By the two-Pence given to the Hoſt to take care of the poor wounded Perſon, may be meant the Gifts and Graces of the Holy Spirit; or, as others, the Old and New Teſtament: but I rather conclude the former.
12. The Samaritan going away, may ſignify Chriſt's Aſcenſion into Heaven, who beſides all the Divine Gifts, Graces and Comforts of the Spirit, he beſtows upon his faithful Miniſters here, and to capacitate and fit them to do their Work and Office, he will when he comes again give them Eternal Life.
Obſerv. Sin and the Devil are, and may fitly be compared to Thieves and Robbers. If this may not ſafely be inferred from hence; yet from divers other Texts of Scripture it may naturally be reduced, &c. See Rom. 7.11. 2 Cor. 11.1, 2. Eph. 4.22. Heb. 3.13.
In the opening of this, we ſhall firſt ſhew what Sin and the Devil robs Men of. 2. Shew what kind of Thieves and Robers Sin and the Devil are.
| Thieves. | Parallel. |
| A Thief, is one, or more, that in a ſecret and felonious manner takes away that which is another Mans, whether it be Goods, Money, &c. and thereby oft-times undoe, and utterly ruine their Neighbours, depriving them of all thoſe good things they had in Poſſeſſion, or the Promiſe of enjoying, &c. | SIn and Satan ſtrive unjuſtly to take away, or deprive the Sons of Men, of their undoubted Right to Divine Things. Adam was inveſted with a very great Eſtate, he had great abundance of all good things in his Poſſeſſion, before the Fall, viz. Union, and Communion with God, perfect Righteouſneſs, &c. he was the Heir of the World, Eden in an eſpecial manner, with all the Riches, Glory, and Delights thereof, were his, &c. nothing was denied him, ſave the eating of the Tree of Knowledg of Good and Evil; but by Sin and the Devil he was robbed and deceived of all, and brought to utter Beggary: and ſince, God hath been pleaſed in a gracious manner through the Lord Jeſus Chriſt, to inveſt Believers with much Spiritual Riches, and Righteouſneſs; again theſe Enemies ſtrive to rob and deceive them of all the ſecond time: but to ſpeak more particularly, the things which they endeavour to deprive the Sons and Daughters off, are theſe. Firſt, Of their precious Time, by telling them that 'tis too ſoon, too early to mind the Concernments of their Souls; like as thoſe in Haggai, ſtrove to deceive the People, The time is not come, &c. 1. Sin and Satan perſwade Men, that time is not ſo ſwift nor uncertain, but that they ſhall have Time and Days enough hereafter, whereas on a ſudden, Times Hour-Glaſs is out, and they are cut down in a moment. 2. By ſtifling the Senſes of poor Sinners, inſomuch that they cannot judg of their Time; they are ſo taken with other Things, Senſual Things, that they know not what time of the Day it is, they think 'tis a long while to Night, when alas their Sun is almoſt ſet. 3. By hiding from Men the great Perils and Dangers of the Times they live in, they are ſo blinded by theſe Thieves, that they ſee not into what a Pit they are a falling. 4. By perſuading them, that a great deal of work may be done in a very ſhort time, that the work of Repentance may be done upon a Sick-Bed, or when old Age comes. 5. And then at another while, when they have ſpent much of their Days in Pleaſure and Vanity, this Enemy perſuades them 'tis now too late, and the time of their Viſitation is paſt, &c. Secondly, Theſe Thieves ſtrive to rob Men of the Opportunity of time, I mean thoſe precious Sermons, Seaſons of Grace, and Holy Sabbaths, God is pleaſed to afford them; by ſecret Craft, theſe Enemies blind the Eyes of Men after ſuch a manner, that they prefer their Worldly Advantages and Profit, in their Shops and Callings, above the Riches and glorious Bleſſings of the Word and Ordinances of God, they prefer Earth before Heaven, Gold above Grace, the good of the Body above the good of the Soul; if the Enemy cannot keep Men from attending upon the Word, then he endeavours to fill their Minds with other Things, cauſing them to be ſo negligent in hearing of the Word preached, that it profits them nothing; or if they ſhould hear with Attention, yet this Adverſary cauſes them to reſt ſatisfyed with a bear hearing, and thereby deceive their Souls. Thirdly, Sin and Satan rob, or deprive Men of Union, and Communion with God, and of the true Grace of God, by which this Union and Communion with God, and Chriſt is attained; perſuading them common Grace is ſaving Grace, and legal Converſion is Evangelical Converſion, and outward Reformation true Regeneration, &c. Fourthly, Sin and Satan rob Men of Peace, not only of Peace with God, but alſo of the true Peace of Conſcience. Fifthly, They ſtrive to rob Men of their precious and Immortal Souls. Sixthly, They rob, and endeavour to rob and deceive Men of the Crown of Life. Laſtly, In a Word, theſe Enemies ſtrive to rob and cheat Men and Women of all the ſaving benefit of Chriſt crucified, endeavouring to make his bleſſed Death wholly ineffectual to their Souls. |
| II. Thieves many times take and lead poor Travellers out of the King's High-Way, into ſome by-Place, and then bind them Hand and Foot, as well as take away their Treaſure. | II. So Sin and Satan, lead Sinners out of the true way of God, into by and untroden Paths of Sin and Idolatry,Iſa. 61.1. and in a barbarous manner bind them with cruel Bonds: hence Chriſt is ſaid to deliver them that were bound.Acts 8.23. The Apoſtle Paul ſpeaking to Simon the Sorcerer, ſaid, I perceive thou art in the Gall of Bitterneſs, and in the Bond of Iniquity. There are three Bonds that theſe Spiritual Thieves bind Sinners with; (1.) The Bond of Ignorance. (2.) The Bond of Unbelief. (3.) The Bond of a hard Heart. |
| III. Thieves do not only bind ſuch that they rob, but many times murther them; they do not only ſteal, but kill alſo, and that in a barbarous manner. There are, and have been, ſome great and notorious Thieves; Would you not look upon him to be a grand Thief, that robs and craftily deceives a whole City, a whole County, nay a whole Kingdom? | III. So Sin and Satan, do not only rob Men of all their Heavenly Treaſure, but alſo kill and murther their Souls; Sin kills Spiritually, and Sin kills Eternally; Sin, Rom. 7.11▪ taking occaſion by the Commandment, deceived me, and by it ſlew me. Sin has deceived and robbed the whole World at once.What a Deceiver Sin is. When our firſt Parents were beguiled, all Mankind were beguiled, and what Man that ever lived hath not actually been robbed by this Thief? The beſt of Men, have more or leſs, been deceived by him. 1. Sin is a great Thief, if we conſider the eminency of thoſe it hath robbed. (1.) Sin deceived the Angels that fell, who were moſt glorious Creatures in their firſt Eſtate. (2.) Sin robbed and deceived Adam, who was ſo higly honoured and dignified by the Almighty, &c. 2. Sin is a bold Thief; which appears, in that it will adventure to ſteal and deceive at that very time when it is arraigned, and its abominable Cheats laid open by the Miniſters of the Goſpel. 3. Sin is an old Thief; no ſooner was the World created, but preſently we read of this Robber, and how he cheated our firſt Parents; O how many Ages, how long a Time hath this Thief reigned in his Wickedneſs? 4. Sin is a ſubtile Thief, he robs and ſteals in the Day-time, as well as in the Night, and yet 'tis hard to find him out; he has many ſecret Corners to hide and lurk in, nay he hath got the Art to change his Name when he is taken, and charged with this or that Abomination. (1.) If you ſearch for him by the Name of Pride, he calls himſelf by the Name of Comlineſs and Decency. (2.) If you ſearch for him under the Name of Covetouſneſs, he calls his Name Induſtry, Thriftineſs, and Good-husbandry; nay he is grown ſo crafty, that ſome think 'tis impoſſible to find him out: under the laſt Appellation, he doth not only change his Name, but alſo prevails cunningly upon Men, according as he finds their natural Inclination and Diſpoſition; ſome he deceives by the Pleaſures of the World, ſome by the Profits and Riches of the World, and ſome he puffs up with Vain-Glory, and the Honours of the World. (3.) Sin deceives by pretending Kindneſs and Friendſhip to the Children of Men; Sin and Satan promiſe a future time, and Days to repent; they promiſe Heaven to the vileſt Sinner, promiſe Life, whilſt they thruſt the Knife into the very Throat. Sin is compos'd of nought but ſubtile Wiles, It fawns and flatters, and betrays by Smiles; 'Tis like the Panther, or the Crocodil, It ſeems to love, and Promiſes no Ill. It hides it Sting, ſeems harmleſs as the Dove; It hugs the Soul, it hates when't vows tru'ſt love. It plays the Tyrant moſt by gilded Pills, It ſecretly enſnares the Soul it kills. Sins Promiſes they all deceitful be, Does promiſe Wealth, but pay us Poverty: Does promiſe Honour, but doth pay us Shame; And quite bereaves a Man of his Good-Name: Does promiſe Pleaſure, but doth pay us Sorrow; Does promiſe Life to day, pays Death to Morrow. No Thief ſo vile▪ nor treacherous as Sin; Whom Fools do hug, and take much Pleaſure in. 5. That Sin is a crafty Thief and Robber, doth appear further, if we conſider what Fools, and meer Babes it makes of worldly-wiſe-Men. (1.) It deceives them of Treaſure of an e…imable Value, for meer Toys and Trifles, it cheats them of moſt bleſſed Pearls, for ſorry Pebbles; they like Idiots, take Braſs Counters, before Guinies and yellow Gold. (2.) It makes them believe ſtrange things, contrary to reaſon; As firſt, that tho they ſow Tares, yet they ſhall reap Wheat; nay, tho they ſow not at all, yet they ſhall have a great Crop at Harveſt; furthermore, that that work may be done when they are Old, and ready to drop into the Grave, which is ſo hard and difficult, that all the Days of their Life, and the greateſt of their Strength is too little to accompliſh; and that 'tis time enough to ſow their Seed, when they ſhould, with others, be a gathering in their Harveſt. Laſtly, it makes ſuch Fools of Men, as to conſent to ſet the Knife to their own Breaſt, and be willing to let out their own Hearts Blood. |
| IV. Bloody Thieves, and Murderers, are a great Terrour to honeſt Men; and they will avoid them, if poſſible, and provide themſelves with ſuitable Weapons, to withſtand and vanquiſh them. | IV. Sin is ſuch a bloody Thief and Murderer, that all Godly Men dread it, and endeavour to avoid it, as much as poſſibly they can; and not only ſo, but alſo take unto themſelves the whole Armour of God,Eph. 6▪ that ſo they may be able to ſubdue and overcome it. |
Inferences.
IF Sin be a Thief, a bloody and treacherous Thief and Robber; what Folly are theſe Men and Women guilty of, who are ſo ready and willing, at every turn, to entertain it as a Gueſt in their Houſes? nay, and ſhall lie in the chiefeſt Room of their Hearts?
2. It ſhews the Folly of theſe Men alſo, who hide their Sin, and deſire nothing more than to have their beloved Luſts ſpared; Who would hide, and plead for a curſed Murderer, or ſuffer a bloody and venemous Serpent to lie in their Boſomes?
3. It ſhews the Folly of ſuch that play and make a ſport at Sin, Fools make a mock at Sin.
4. Take heed you are not beguiled and robbed by it.
5. When you are hard put to it, call for help, Cry out, Thieves, Thieves! Pray for the help of the Spirit.
6. Be ſure watch againſt it; you are ready to have a watchful Eye over a Thief, nay over one who is bu… ſuſpected ſo to be.
7. Keep the Door ſhut againſt Sin. And
Laſtly, Be not ſo fooliſh as to believe Sin and Satans Promiſes.