Tropes and Figures, Treatise 1 · Head 10 · Part 5
Sin a Wound.
Pſal. 38.5. My Wounds ſtinck and are corrupt, &c.
Prov. 18.14. — But a wounded Spirit who can bear?
Luke 10.34. And bound up his Wounds, &c.
SIN wounds the Soul of a Sinner, a Church or Nation. When Ephraim ſaw his Sickneſs, and Judah ſaw his Wounds, &c. Hoſ. 5.13. The Word tranſlated Wound in this place, is from a Word that ſignifieth colligavit, he hath bound up, either becauſe of the corruption of the Body that is gathered together, or becauſe of the binding of it up with Cloaths.
Parallels.
WOunds are either new, which we commonly call green Wounds, or elſe old Wounds: Now Sinners have an old Wound upon them, which is like a ſtinking Ulcer, which they received above five thouſand years ago: in the Garden of Eden, when Adam was wounded by his Sin, in eating of the forbidden Fruit, all his Poſterity were wounded in him; alſo every Sinner hath many freſh Wounds upon him.Rom. 5.12.
II. Some Wounds are venemous, as the biting or cruel ſting of ſome poyſonous Serpent, &c. Sin is a venemous Wound, it is the ſting of a Serpent, the old Serpent. [See Sting.]
III. Some Perſons have been full of Wounds, wounded from the Crown of the Head to the Soles of the Feet, they are (as it were) nothing but Wounds: ſo Sinners are full of Wounds, every Sin is like a Wound, or makes a Wound in the Soul; ſo many Sins a Man is guilty of, ſo many Wounds he hath in his inward Man. Every Faculty of their Soul is wounded: (1.) Their Judgment is corrupt. (2.) Their Underſtanding darkned, full of Vanity, Blindneſs, Incredulity, Enmity and Unteachableneſs. (3.) The Will, that noble Faculty, is wounded, and fearfully depraved; the Mind of a Man being corrupt, the Will muſt needs be corrupt: As to a Man that hath his Pallate poſſeſt with a vicious Humour, every thing ſeems bitter according to the Humour; ſo the Underſtanding reckoning the ways of God both Enmity and Folly, the Will acts accordingly. The Will of wicked Men acts croſs and contrary to God and his Holy Will in all things, they reſiſt and fight againſt him, and are not ſubject to his Law, neither indeed can be; there is much Pride, Inconſtancy,Rom. 8 7. Stubbornneſs and Diſobedience in the Will, Our Tongues are our own, and who is Lord over us? Pſal. 12.4.(4.) Their Affections are wounded, and very filthy, Men naturally love the Creature, more than God, nay they love their Luſts, horrid Sins and Uncleanneſs, above the Majeſty of Heaven. The Apoſtle, giving a Character of ſome Men, ſaith, they are Lovers of Pleaſures more than Lovers of God. (5.) The Memory is wounded,1 Tim. 3.4. being forgetful of that which is good, and like a leaking Veſſel: Men are ready to remember, what God bids them forget, but forget that which he commands them to remember, they are too apt to think upon Injuries; nay, may be one Injury will be thought on more than many Kindneſſes and Years of good Service: they are ſubject enough to remember Trifles and vain Stories, whenas a profitable Sermon, or wholeſome Counſel, is forgot, &c. (6.) The Conſcience of a Sinner is wounded with Sin, tho not for it, or in a deep and real Senſe of the evil of it. Ʋnto them that are defiled and unbelieving, is nothing pure, Tit. 1.15but their Minds and Conſciences are corrupt; the Conſcience, which ſhould like Job's laſt Meſſenger, bring us Word that all the reſt of the Faculties are dead, i. e. wounded,Preſton. and corrupted; alas! is maimed, dumb, or miſguided, or grievouſly diſtempered; that when it ſhould accuſe, it excuſeth; it ſhould act the part of a faithful Regiſter, to ſet all our Sins down exactly, but it falſifies in this, and, as ſaith Dr. Preſton, when it ſhould ſet down Hundreds, it ſets down Fifties, when it ſhould reſtrain from Evil, it is almoſt aſleep, and lets the Sinner alone: whom it ſhould condemn, for want of Light it acquits: And as a Man is wounded in every Faculty of his Soul or rational part, ſo likewiſe he is in his ſenſitive part; his Eyes are full of Adultery, his Lips are unclean,R…m. 3.…3 his Throat is like an open Sepulchre, the Poyſon of Aſps is under his Tongue, his Ears are deaf and dull of hearing that which is good.
IV. As ſome Wounds a Man receives are very deep and reach to the Heart: ſo Sin makes a deep Wound; Man is not only wounded in every part, but very deeply wounded:Je…. 4.18 Gen. 6 5. This is thy Wickedneſs, becauſe it is bitter, becauſe it reacheth to thine Heart. Their Heart deviſeth Wickedneſs, &c. Every Imagination of the Thoughts of his Heart is only evil continually: Jer. 4.14.Hence ſaith God, Waſh thine Heart from Wickedneſs, &c.
V. Some Wounds are corrupt, filthy, and very loathſome; the Wounds Sin makes in the Soul,Iſa. 1.6. are very filthy and abominable, From the ſole of the Foot, even to the Head, there is no ſoundneſs in it, but Wounds and Bruiſes, and putrifying Sores: they have not been bound up, neither molified with Ointment; My Wounds ſtink and are corrupt.
VI. Some Wounds ſmart and are very painful, cauſing the Patient to cry out in great anguiſh: Sin makes ſuch a Wound in the Soul, that it cauſeth ſuch who have their Spiritual Feeling to cry out; the pain is ſo great, that a Chriſtian cannot, without Divine Help,Pſal. 38.8, 9. bear up under the ſmart and torture of it; I have roared (ſaith the Pſalmiſt) by reaſon of the diſquietneſs of my Heart; Lord, all my deſire is before thee, and my groaning is not hid from thee.
Lev. 13.2, 3, 4, 5, 6.VII. Some Sores or Wounds are infectious, like Plague-Sores, or the Leproſy, they infect the Cloaths and Garments of the wounded and diſeaſed Perſon, and not only ſo, but the very Houſe where he dwells, and the People alſo that come near him, or converſe with him: Sin is of an infectious Nature, no Plague more catching and infectious, than the Sore or Plague of Sin, it defiles all a Man's beſt Actions, and makes all our Righteouſneſs like filthy Rags. If ye daily converſe with, or are frequently in the Company of ſome wicked Men, 'tis a thouſand to one if you are not the worſe for it; Who can touch Pitch, and not be defiled therewith? We are commanded to keep our ſelves unſpotted from the World; 'tis a hard matter to keep clear of theſe Spots and Pollutions wicked Men are defiled with. Sin is of ſuch an infectious Nature that it hath corrup…d the Earth,Iſa. 24.5. The Earth is defiled under the Inhabitants thereof, &c. Nay ſome conceive, the Sin of Man hath darkned, in ſome reſpect, the glorious Heavens,Job 25.5. with the Sun, Moon and Stars, that they ſhine not ſo ſplendidly as they did at the firſt.
VIII. Some Wounds are of a feſtering and ſpreading Nature, whilſt the Patient is under Cure, they grow worſe and worſe: The Wounds or Sins of ſome Men (tho they are under Cure, i. e. ſit under a powerful and Soul-ſearching Miniſtry) feſter, as it were;2 Tim 3.13. they, inſtead of growing better, grow worſe and worſe, like as the Apoſtle ſpeaks of Deceivers.
IX. Some Sores, Wounds and Scabs, bring Shame upon ſuch who have them: Sin is ſuch a Sore, and ſo hateful a Scab, that it cauſes Shame, and Confuſion of Face. Sin is the ſhame of any People,Phil. 3 19. and yet how do ſome glory in it? They glory in their Shame! Sin is the ſoul Diſeaſe; the Hurt, nay all the Hurt, Sorrow, and Shame Sinners meet with, came in originally by Sin, by yielding to the Devil, and by adulterating from God: no running Sore, no Scab, no breaking out in the Fleſh, like Sin in the Heart and Life of a Sinner.
Ezek 18. Joh. 8.22. Rom. 8.13.X. Some Wounds are Mortal: Sin makes a mortal Wound; The Soul that Sins ſhall die; and, unleſs ye believe that I am he, ye ſhall die in your Sins. If ye live after the Fleſh, ye ſhall die, &c. I do not ſay there is no Help, nor Cure for theſe Spiritual Sores and Wounds; yet I muſt ſay they are incurable, as to Man, no Man can find by all his Skill and Art any healing Medicine. And upon this account the Lord ſaid of Judah and Iſrael, their Wound was incurable, they had brought themſelves into ſuch a Condition, that none could help them, nor bring them out; O Iſrael, thy deſtruction is of thy ſelf, but in me is thy help. Indeed ſome Men are ſo deſperately and dangerouſly wounded, that there is little hope of them, they have all the ſigns of Ruine and Eternal Death upon them imaginable.
Queſt. It may be you will ſay, When may the ſtate of a Perſon be ſaid to be deſperate, and almoſt (if not altogether) paſt hope, or wounded even unto Death?
Anſw. 1. If a Man ſins, and is ſorely wounded, and yet continues in his Sinful Courſe, the Sting is not pulled, as it were, out of his Fleſh, I mean out of his Heart, nor is he willing it ſhould; there is little hopes at preſent of this Man. Can a Wound be healed and yet the venemous Sting ſtick faſt in him? A continual courſe or cuſtom in Sin, tho they be ſmall Sins comparatively, may prove deadly.
2. When …in is in the Affection 'tis dangerous You know when the Heart is wounded and corrupt, there is no hopes of Life: if in times of Infection you can keep it from the Heart, you are well enough. Phyſicians, tho they have Medicines to keep Infection from the Heart, yet they have no Medicine to cure the Heart, if once the Diſtemper gets into it. When a Man cloſes in with his Sin, likes it, loves it, and makes Proviſion to fulfil the Luſts of it, 'tis a dangerous ſign.
3. When the Wound ſpreads and increaſeth, or a Perſon grows more vain, carnal, and filthy, 'tis a ſad ſign. Some Men have been for a time cautions, and ſomewhat tender, their Conſciences have reſtrained them from yielding unto Sin, but afterwards they came to grow more hard and bold, and have adventured on this and the other Evil, and ſo by degrees from little Sins make no Conſcience of greater, till they are notorious in Wickedneſs, and this after common Illuminations; this is a ſign they are near Hell.
4. When a Perſon is ſorely and grievouſly wounded, and yet is unſenſible, does not cry out, nor feel any pain, 'tis a ſad ſign. Come to ſome wounded Perſons, and ask them how they do; they will anſwer you, Very well, I ail nothing, then Relations begin to weep: ſo ſome Sinners, through a cuſtom of Sin, grow inſenſible, they are paſt feeling, they are not only without pain themſelves, but laugh at ſuch who complain of their Sores upon the Head, and mourn for their Sin; of this Man you may write in Red Letters, Lord have Mercy upon him.
5. When a Man is dangerouſly wounded, and nothing that is given him will go down, neither Food nor Phyſick; or if he doth take it, yet it will not ſtay with him, 'tis a very bad ſign: ſo when a Sinner refuſeth all good Counſel that is given him, and inſtead of vomiting up, by true Repentance, his Sin, he vomiteth up the Phyſick and Food of his Soul that ſhould do him good, and deſpiſes all Reproof,Prov. 28.1. hardning himſelf againſt it, he is near to Deſtruction.
6. And Laſtly, When a Man is wounded, and that Balſam, Means or Medicine, that ſeldom fails to work a Cure in others, yet will do him no good, but contrary-wiſe, whilſt in Cure, and under the beſt Means, he grows worſe and worſe, there is little hopes of him: ſo when a Sinner under a powerful and Soul-ſaving Miniſtry, and divers ſore Afflictions, is not at all reformed, but grows worſe and worſe, his Condition is bad; it may be that Sermon that works no change at all in him, hath tended, through the Mercy of God, to the Converſion of ſeveral Souls who were as ſorely wounded as he. If a Phyſician gives the beſt Medicine he has, and lays on a moſt Soveraign Plaiſter, and yet the Patient ſaith, Sir, that which you preſcribed hath done me no good; I wonder, ſaith he, it ſeldom fails me, I fear your Condition, I muſt give up, I have done what I can for you, the Lord pitty your Soul, you are no Man for this World; 'tis an Argument that Wound or Sickneſs will be unto Death, when the beſt Preaching, the beſt Means that can be made uſe of, will not work upon a Man's Heart; he is under Loſſes and Affliction, and divers melting Providences, but nothing will do.
Inferences.
IS Sin a Wound? or doth it wound the Soul, wound the State, Nation, and Church of God? We may then infer from hence the Folly of Men and Women who love and hug their Sin. Wilt thou, O Sinner, hug a Serpent in thy Boſom, that ſtrives to ſting thee to Death? what Fools are wicked Men?
2. Let us learn from hence to bewail the Condition of our ſinful Relations, let the Husband mourn over his unbelieving Wife, and the Wife mourn over the unbelieving Husband; Fathers grieve for their unconverted and wounded Children, and Children grieve for their wounded and unconverted Parents, &c. What are they that thou loveſt ſo dearly, and who lye in thy Boſom mortally wounded, and wilt thou not be troubled for them? what not one Sigh nor Tear come from thee for them? be aſtoniſhed, O Heavens! what a hard Heart haſt thou?
3. Seek out for help, you that are unconverted, delay not; and let ſuch who are healed, do what they can to get help and Cure for their Friends: if a Husband, a Wife, a Father, a Child or Brother be dangerouſly ſick, or wounded externally, how ready are you to enquire for ſome skilful Phyſician, or Chyrurgion! and what ſpeed will you make! and will you not be as tender and as careful of their Souls?
4. Take heed you do not draw others into Sin. What not only wound thy own Soul, but be cruel alſo to the Souls of others! wilt thou murther thy ſelf, and murther thy Friend too?
5. What blind Wretches are they that make a mock at Sin? [See Fools.]
6. Let it be alſo matter of caution to all, to take heed they reſt not ſatisfied with ſlight healing,Jer. 8.11. They have healed the hurt of the Daughter of my People ſlightly, &c. This may be done many ways.
(1.) Some reſt ſatisfied, and lick themſelves whole with the thoughts of federal Holineſs, think they are in Covenant with God, through the Faith of their Parents; thus the Jews,Mat. 3.9. We are Abraham's Seed, we have Abraham to our Father; my Parents were Godly; and ſo they might, and yet thou a Child of the Devil, and be damned for all that.
(2.) Some fly to their Godly Education: but that will never heal their Wounds; 'tis not what a Godly Family thou waſt brought up in, and what good Inſtruction thou hadſt, but what thou art, and what a change there is in thee, what Faith and Fear of God is there wrought in thy Soul?
(3.) Others apply the Mercy of God, when they begin to feel Conſcience to terrify them,Exod 34.6 and their Wounds appear, but never conſider his Juſtice: remember God is graci…us and merciful, &c. but will in no wiſe clear the Guilty.
(4.) Others truſt to a partial Reformation of Life, they are other Men to what they were once. Soul, 'tis not Reformation, or leaving all manner of groſs ſcandalous Sins, but a change of Heart and Regeneration thou muſt ſeek after.
(5.) Some apply the Promiſes of God to Sinners, before their Wounds were ever lanced, or their Sores laid open, and the Corruption let out: this is but skinning over the Sore, and to leave it to feſter and rancle inwardly; the proud Fleſh muſt with ſome corroding Plaiſter be taken down, thou wanteſt through Humiliation for Sin.
(6.) Many ſatisfy themſelves, becauſe they are not ſuch great Sinners as ſome are. Remember,Luk. 13 3, 5. I tell ye, nay, except ye repent, ye ſhall all likewiſe periſh.
(7.) Some fly to their Duties, they ſin and are wounded, and they think Prayer will make them whole.
(8.) Some boaſt of their Knowledg and Experiences, &c. they can diſcourſe and talk well, nay, and will tell you, they are Members of the Church too: and this may be, and yet they die of their Wounds, and go to Hell. O take heed you are not ſlightly healed.
Queſt. Well, but it may be you will ſay, What ſhould we do to be throughly healed?
Anſw. There is but one Phyſician can heal theſe Wounds; none but the Lord Chriſt only has the healing Medicine; his Blood is the Balſam, which thou muſt apply by Faith. And if thou wouldeſt have a perfect Cure, thou muſt be put to pain; He that would be healed, muſt ſuffer his Wounds to be lanced, and ſearched to the bottom.
2. Take the Phyſician's Counſel, and carefully follow his Directions; come to him preſently, whilſt it is to day, or thou art a dead Man.
3. If it be ſo, that he ſays, thy right Hand muſt be cut off, bear the Pain; or thy right Eye muſt be pulled out, ſubmit to him. Whatſoever is dear to thee, that hinders the Cure, thou muſt deny thy ſelf of.
4. A Purge thou muſt take, or thy Wounds cannot be healed; the evil Humors, or the Filth and Corruption that is in thy Heart, muſt by the Spirit of Grace be purged out.
John 3.3.5. Thou muſt become a new Creature: Except a Man be born again, he cannot ſee the Kingdom of God.