. ·1JireElio;zs for ; well ,grormded Faitf,. 5 . '[hey fin againfi thep"don and Jt'-&ification which they have already received. Did God fo lately for~ive them all their former debts? [o many,fo great and hemous fins,aRd that fof:eely to ~hem, when the procurement was {o dear to Chrift? and lhould they fo foon forget, .or fb tU requite fo great a mercy? . . . 6. They fin againfi a more [eriom Covenant which at then converfion. they entred mto Wtth God, than other men do. , 7 . Thty fin a~ainfi all the heart·breaking or humbling forrows, which they have tafied ofat their converfion and tmce. They have k..,nown more of the evtl of fin than others, m thetr fad expenence of its fling. · . 8. They fin againfi more k.!wrrled1_e than other men : They have known more what fin 1s, a.nd what Chrilt is, and what the will of God is) than others : and therefore defcrve to be beaten WHh many llripes. ~· They have oftner eonfeffid fin than others, and fpoke odioufly of it, as the vilefi thing, and aggravated ic to God and man. . . . . . . IO· Their many Prayer I agamfi It, and all then labour mheanng, andreadmg, and Sacraments, and other means, do aggravate Jt, 1 r. They make a greater Profrf!ion of firict obedience, and therefore fin again{\ their own pro– fellion. i2. They have rwewed their Promifu of obedience to God, in prayer, at Sacraments, and at other times, much more than orhers. 13. They h1ve had mort: expcrimce than others of the JJ,oodn_efs of obedien~e, andofthe comfor(S and benefits that attend it, in the favour of God, and commumon w1th h1rn_thercm. If· Their fins are aggravated by all the t~eproo[I and cxhBrtatiomwh1ch they have ufed to others, to tell them how unrcafonable and bad it is to provoke,!he Lord. , 5· They fin under greater hopes of glory , than others do ; and provoke that God with whom they hope tO live for ever, ' · 16. The high Titlu of love and praife , which God doth give them in his Word, do aggra– vate their fin: That he 010uld call them his treafierr, his peculiar people, his jewels, and the apple of hi< eyr, his fonr and dauglmrs, and a holy peoplr, and Priejl!lo Go~, and boa!\ ot them as a people.more excellent than their neighbours ; and after this they lhould'fin (a-gainll him. 17· They have had a~tdicnce with God 1 the anfwcr of prayers, and many a deliverance and mercy in this life, which others have not, which aggrantc their (ins, as being thur contem;ud, and as obliging them more to God thaQ. others. r8. They dijhonoztr God more than any others by their fins : His honour 1yeth not fomuch upon the actions of the ungodly, as on thofe that are nearefi to him. r9. They harden the wicked more than fuch fins in other men would do : They caufe ·them to Blafphcme, and reproach the godly for their fakes ; and fay [ Thefe are your Religious men! You fee now what their firictnefs is. J And they hinder the converfion and falvation of others : They grieve the godly , and wrong the Church and Caufe of God , much more than the fins of otherS do. 20. Lafily, They pleafe the Devil more than the fins of other men: How bufie is he to have drawn aJob to fin ? and how would he: have boafied againfi God, and his grace, and his fervants, if he had prevailed? when he boafled fo much b~fore, in the falfe prefumption of his fuccefs ? As if he could make the godly forfake.God, and be as bad as ot~rs, if he have leave to tempt them. ' 101 9· I9• 11. I fi1all next give you fome particular Direaious, befides thofe fore-going, to help you to think., of jht as it is, that you may hate it: For your clet~ttfing ind cure confifieth in this: lo far as you hate fin, it is mortified, and you are cured of it. And therefore as I have an1tornizcd . it, that you may fee the hatefulnefs of it, I !hall direct you to improve this for your cure. 9· 20. DireCt. 1. Labour to /{now God, and to be affeCied with hi1 Attribute~, and abv:Zyu to live as Dirdl. r. in hi< fight. No man can~now fin perfealy; becaufe no man can /;.now God perfeU!y. You can no How ro hlte further Jznow what. fin is, than you know what God ir whom you fin again~. For the formal ma- fin. lignity of fin is Relative, as it is againfi the WiU and AttriS,uw of God. The godly have fome I;_nowledge of the mahgmty of fin, becaufe they have fome l;_nowlcdgc ofGod that is wronged by it. The wicked have no pratiical prevalent knowledge of the malignity of fin, becaufe th!="y have no fuch knowledge of God. They that fiar God, will fear !inning: They that in their hearts are bold unreverently with God, will in heart and life be bold wirh fin: The Athei!l that thinketh there is >to God thinks there is 110 fin againll him. Nothing in the world will tell us fo plainly andporcerfuUy of th; evil of fin, as the knowledge of the Greatnefs, Wifdom, Goodncfs, Ho!inefs, Authority, Juliic<. Truth, &c. of God. The fenfe of his prifenct therefore, will revive our fenfe of fins malignity. §. 21. Direct. 2. Confider wcU of the office, the bloodfhed and the holy life ofChrift: His office is v· n 2 to expiate fin, and to dcfi:roy it: His blood was !hed for it. His Life condemned j r. . Love Chrifi zrt..t• • and thou wilt hate thit which caufed his death. Love: him, and thou wilt love to be made lik~ him, and hate that which is fo contrary to Chrifi. Thefetwo grtat Lights will Orew the odioufnefs of dariQrrfs. 9· 22· Direct. 3·
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