_____'T._be.....:fi:_u_re_TriaL of_V~p_r~ig~h_tn--'-~(J_s. ______ r,r..~,'i~~~~-:ta~~~ ~/a:::~i~~:~~ {~~a!?c'of~l~J~: f:1airh~~:';l~; '{:,~;j~';f~l'/:t;~:; I was 11prig,ht alfo tefore him ' and kept my felf from mine Iniquity. ' In the Text there IS a folemn Declaration of David' s Uprightn~fs, by his atte!ling God the Searcher and Judge of the Heart;_ I was uprig,bt hfore him: And by an infaJliblc proofof Jt, I kept myfelf from mine Intquiry. There .Is one Di~culty to be rcmov'd before I come to _difcourfc upon rl~e Propofition and that ts, how tlus Profcffion. of UprightnefS is rcconctleablc with Damd's Actions i!~ rhe Matter of Uriab; Whether we confider the ~ality of his Sins, the crimfOn Guilt and killing Circumftanccs that attended them; efpccially the deliberate and cruel Con: tri'{ancc of UriaJ/s Death: Or whether we confider the fearful Interval between his Sin aad Repentance : for like feme fair Rivers that in their Current fuddcnly fink under Ground, and arc loft in their fecret Paffage, till at a great difiancc they rife and Aow ~gain : Thus it was with Da'Uid, he that was fo confj_Jicuous in holinefs of Life, funk ~~~~t~d~l;}~ ~~ ;cF:~~:/~?M~£ag~r~~~G~ddb:0rt~ J~~~1~~11~r;~!n~11 l~~l~:~n~e~~~~~trr: Rcpcnr:mcc, and refiored to the forfeited Favour of God. To rh is Objection iOme Learned Interpreters anfwcr, That the Dedaration of his Inno~cncc and In~cgriry, muO:. ~c un.dcrfiood witl~ a tacit Exception according ro the Teftunony of Scnpmrc concermng hnn, lhat be dtd that wbicb was right in tbe Eyes of lt~e~::~;' i:n;~J~u;:~;::t~~f:r:.m 7Jl~;;~~l~brl~~~g~:.:~;::Jtl:J;;;;~~~:i~Rs ;fc/~ff:f:~ blaft the Upnghmcls of rhe rcft of his L1fe, and make 1t unacceptable to God. 2. This Affirmation of Da'Utd may refer to lus afflicted State, when lus Confcicnce was render and vjgil:lnt, and his Paffions f~ fi.tbdued, that though Saul, his mofl unrighteous a11d implacable Advcrfary, was at.lus Mercy, and he could as caftly have cur off his Head as the Lap of his Garment; though he wa~ provok'd to take !~is fuJl revenge on him: a~d put an e1~d to his own Fears, yet he rCJectcd the Motion Wtdl abhorrence; God for· I"'! I jhould lift up my Hand ag,ainjl the Lord's Anointed: He fpared Saul, and would not ~~[~~~ ~~~;r~~~~l~:, ~~~~~:i~;ll~is~~:~~~~,'y, t~~~~[; ~~~:~,~~:de~ya~~~~1imfelf. By The Propofttion that I !hall difcourfe of is this, That the preferving a Man's felf from hi s Iniquity, is ~n undeceivin& Evidence of l!prighrnefs. In the managmg the DoClnne, Three Tlungs arc to be conftdered and unfolded. 1. What Sin may be denominated a Man's own. z. What the preferving ones felf from rim Sin implies. l· How this is an undecciving Evidence of Uprighrnefs. 1. What Sin may be denominated a Man's own, In gene ral, every Sin rhat a Man commits may be flilcd his own, as 'tis the ilfue of his corrupt Nature, and the Off:fpring of his depraved Will. St. James exprcifes ir, g~~~{ :a; :~J~~:~t~~;d s~~~~:~,b~~e\~~~~~~? t;;:c:~;~c~;~rv;h~JV~il0{J~~SC:~n/:e1c; fa~~~ Guilt upon us. Every aCtual Sin is in fOme degree voluntary: But fome Sins, in an eminent propriety and peculiar manner, may be called our own ; fuch as there is a flrong tendency to commit, either from the natural Inclination, or Cuft:om, that is an accdfaty Nature, or from fpecial refpech rhar engage the Will and AffeCtions. As in the natural Body compos'd of various Members, fome are more dear and ufcful, as the righr Eye, and the righr Hand : So iu the Botly of tbe Sins of the Flejh, as the corrupt Nature is fiil'd by the Apofile, from the variety and union of the vicious AffeCtions, there arc fomc particular Lufl:s, either for Pleafure or Profit, are as the rigbt Eye, or right /-land, in our Saviour's Language, fo dear to Men, that they will lofe Eternal Life rather than ba feparated from them. . Thcfc reigning Sins, that have a complcat dominion in the Unregenerate, arc of. dtf- ~r~~~. 1~:~~~ :\:~~v~~:~~e~~fon;_- B; "': 1~~~~~e~~g~r,tl}~i,~ccl~~7 ~[re'~~~- ri,~ 5ta~~~re~ fpecial Sins are either Natural or Moral : The Natural are the different Tcmperame~rs of Mens Bodies, and the Connexion of the Pailions, rhat fo fuongly draw the Will, that we may as certainly underfiand what vicious ACtions are naturally confequent, as Aflronomers foretcl the Eclipfes of the Lights of Heaven, I will
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=