Preached Auguil 17. 1662. 5 caufe for him to number the people but curiofity, and no end but vain-glory : Go through all the tribes of Ifrael, and number the peon ple., that I may know the number of mypeople, ver. Davids heart was lifted up with pride and creature-confidence : he begins to boaft of the multitude of his people, and to trait in an armof WI : therefore God fends the Prophet.to David, to prick the bladder of of his pride, as if God firould fay, I will teach you to number the people by leffening the number of your people : Now the bur- den ofhis fin did adde much to the burden of this heavy meffage : ver. 13. After David hadnumbered thepeople, his heart fmote him : the nieffage finites him, and his heart finites him, and he laid, Ihave finnedgreat ly in that which Ihave done : now Ibefeech thee take away theiniquity of thy fervant, forIhavedone very foolifhly. If David had been to fuller this great puniihment out of love to God, or for a good confcience, he would not have been fo diffreffed : There are two forts of {traits in Scripture : forme firffered for God and a' good confcience : and there are ftraits fuffered for fin. not. There are halts fuffered for God. and a good. confcience,. Heb. Ir. 36,37. thole Martyrs there were driven to great ftra its : but thefe were 'traits for God and a good Confcience, and thefe {traits were the Saints greateft enlargements; they were lb fweet- ned to them by the confolations and lupportations of Gods Spirit, a prifon was a paradife to them, Heb. to. 34. they look 'joyfully at the fpoiling of their goods, As 5. 41.. they departed from the prerence of the Council, rejoycing that they were counted wor- thy to fufferiliame for his Name. Straits for a good confcience are: greateft enlargements ; therefore St. Paul glorieth in this ftrair, Paul a Prifoner, &c. 2. There are {traits fuffered for fin, and thee are envenomed: by the guilt of fin: fin puts prifon into all our diltreffes and per -. plexities. Now fuch was the firait into which David was now dri- ven: it was a ftrait mired by fin, and that made it fo unwelcome. and uncomfortable : fo that from hence I gather this oblervation. Do&. That fin and iniquity brings Petfans and Nations into marvel- lous labyrinths andperplexities : into true, real, andgreat molerfa-. tions : a man free from fin, is free in the mid/lot' firaits : a man: guilty of fin, is.inafirait in the rnidit of freedom. After Adam had finned in eating of the forbidden fruit, the whole world w4s a prifon to him : Paradife it felt was an hell to him, he knew not where to hide Ifinifelf from' the pretence of God. After that Cain had murthered his brother Abel, he was, brought
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