of Prefomptuous Sins. at firfi ariferh in rhe Soui,but as a fmall Mifi, and is fcarce difCernable; yet if ir be nor [careered by the breach of Prayer,ic will at length overfpread the whole Life and become mofi tempefiuous and ragi~g ; and therefore David, as one exp;rienced in che deceirfulnefs ofSin,dorh rhusdigeftand merhodize his Prayer; Firfi,againft fecrecand!lefferSins; ~nd then againil the more grofs and notorious; as knowing the one proceeds and Iffues from the other: Lord, cltanfe me from mJ fecrtt ftmlts; and this will be a .mOfi c_ffectual m~ans to preferve and keep thy Ser\'ant from l'refumptttws Sin: And dns Obfervat!rm may be gathered from rho connexion of the rwo Requefls: Bur I fhall not. mlift on that. The Words are a rnoft fincere and affectionate Prayer; and in rhein are ob.. fervable, Firff The Perfon that makes it; and that is not a vile, nccorious Sinner, on~: that uf~d to be overcome by prefumpruous Sins ,; but D.~vid, a Man after God's own hearc, eminent for Holinefs and Piety; Keep b.,ck thy Servant, fays he, from pre{umptuolu Sins. Second/], The Requeft and Petit~on it felf; a_nd that is? that God would keep him, noc from Sins of common Fratlty, and dally lnfirmuy, fuch as no Man's Holinefs can exempt him from ; but fro!ll Sins of Prefumption, from daring and ranting Sins, fuch as one wou_ld thmk, that no Man that hath the leaft · HolindS in him, could ever .cornmtt, ~eep hac~ tb] .Srrvant from prefomptuo~es Sins. In this Petition two Thmgs are ev1demly tmphed. . Firfi, That jlrong prcpenjit~n that there is .in. the beft to the worfl Sins-. Wefe it not (0, what neea David pray for refiratmng Grace? Keep b~ck thy Servant. Lord, my Corruprions hurry me with all violence into the greareft Sins; theY perfwad~, they force, .they drag, they draw,. they thruft forward, and now,. now I am going andJteldtng; but, Lord, wnhhold me, pur a curb and check ~pon chefc: violent an head-itrong Corruptions of mine; keep back, ketp me back from prt/ttmptuous Sins. Secondly, It implies that utter impotency that the befl lye untler to/"re[er,}.,b them/elves from the fouleft fins, '.vitbout the fpecial aid and itffijla11CC 0 dfvin) GMoc. My Heart it is not in my own hands; my Ways are not at my owh difpofe; I cannot !la~d longe~ than thou u~holde!l m~ ; I cannot walk longer tha.n thou leadeft me; tf thou WJthdrawefi thme everlaftmg Arms from under me: I /hall !lumble, and fall, and rumble headlong into fearful Precipices, incJ vile Impiecies, into Hell and Perdition it felf; and therefore, Lord, do thcni keep me; do thou by thy Omniporency fupply my Impotency;· by thy Power keep me from what mine own Weaknefs will certainly betray ~e unto; . KeeP. back thl._ Ser'tlant from pre[umptttom Sins. Thefe two Things are iniplied 3nd couched in the Petition it felf. Th;dty, In the Text we have the 1\.eafon alfo why Dav;J prays fo earrtetlly againfi prefumpcuous Sins: \Vhich Reafon carries in it the Form of a diftintl: Petition by it felf; Keep back thy Strvant from prefumptuous Sins; let them not have dominjon over me : But yec ic may he well underfiood as a Reafon of the fore-- going Requeft, therefore, Lord, ke~ me from prefumptttous Sins; left by falling in.. to che commiffion of them, I fall alfo under the power of them • left by prevailing upon me, they get dominien and fovereignty over me., And in this ReafOn alfo we have a him of the incroaching nature of Sin fiill . from the allowance of little and fecrcc Sins, it proceeds to the commiffion ~f grofs and prefumptuous Sins; and from the commiffion of thefe, it proceeds td dominion over him ; and therefore if we would not be Slaves to our Lufts and Vaff'als eo the Devil, we had need a~l of us to pray with David, Lcrd, keep us from [ecret Sins, leil: they break out mco open and prefumptuous Sins. a:nd Lord, keep_ us from pre[umptuous Sins, left they get dominion over us. ' ' ' Now, from the Words thus divided and opened, feveral ufeful Ob[tr'1Jations may be raifed. As, Firjl, From the Petition it felf, we may obferve thefe Two Dotlrina1 Points. Firjl, That in the very beft Cbriftians there is great pronene[s and inclinatio11to thi very w"jl s;,, ' David himfelf prays for refiraining Grace to keop him from pre{ttmptuous Sin1. ..
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