The Great Duty the convincing Light of it to difcover the Guilt of Si n unto him, while he is dif• charging the dreadful Threatnings of it agai nfl: his Sin, yet can then commit it . I fay; he is near unto a final judicial Hardnefs. ' . When you have now a while contemplated the face of Sin in the Law, remove it to the Gofpel. If the Law break the HeJrt with Ten·our, t he Gofpel will melt it with Love. What! to Sin not only againft the Authonty of a God, but alfo againft the Love of a Father; that Parent Love, from which proceeds all.the good· I enjoy or expe~; that pardoning Love, jufti fying , adopting, and favmg Love! Can I fpurn agamft thofe Bowels that yern and r oll towards me! Can I fin againft that Grace and Mercy, which fuould I fin againft, would yet !till tender me a Pardon? Can I be prodigal and Iavilhing of that Blood of which Chrift was fo free himfelf? Shilll I defpife it or trample it underfoot, becaufe it flows in [o full a ltream? Shall I quench and fadden the Holy Comforter, and return him Grief for all the r avilhing Confolations l have been fill ed with from him? Is this the filial Difpofition, the Child· like Ingenuity of a Son , of a Saint? Thefe, 0 Chriftian, are Confiderations that muft needs file nce t he moft importunate Corruptions and Temptations, that they rhall have nothing more to mutter. It is the Gofpel by which alone the Guilt of Sin is taken away, that doth thus aggravate that Gu ilt to fuch an accefs as proves a fecurity from the committing of it. Tell me, did you ever know a Temptation prevail over you? Did you ever commit a Sin in your whole Lives, while fuch .Confide rations as thefe were · frelh and vigorous upon your Hearts? Nay, I know it is impoflible: T he GraCe . of God teacheth us otherwife ; yea, it not only Teachetb llS, but inforceth and conftrains us otherwife. A Temptation mufr firft thruft thefe Confiderations oull' of the Heart e'er it can prevail. This therefore is the firft means of beating down a Corruption by the Confi· deration of its Guilt, comparing it both with the Law and Gofpel. What better: Weapon can we have to fight againft Corruption with, than the Stvord of the Spirit which, liph. 6. 17. the Apoftle tells us, is the word of God: And He!J. 4, 1 ~. he tells us, this word is a two edged [word; the Law is one edge and the Gofpel another; and both thefe are powerful, !harp and piercing, to the fuppreffing and mortifying of Corruption, going to the very Inwards and Heart thereof. Secondly, Another. thing that bath great ln~uen.ce to. the n~ortifying of Sin is, a ferious Confideratlon of the great Danger 1t Will bnng us Into. It were fad and dreadful, and enough to canfe a trembling in us, If I lhould only mention unto you the Danger of an enraged and diftraCted Confcience, whicb God may. let loofe upon you in all its Horrors ~and Affi·ights, when you let loofc your felves unto the Commiffion of any known Sin; the Danger if not of an enraged Coa· fcience yet of a feared Confcience., which is worfe.; the Danger of a judiciary Curfe ~nd Tradition to be delivered up unto, and Sealed under Sin; that no Reproofs, nor Corivi?tions, nor Judgments, nor Mercies fuould ever more take· hold or make any tmpreffion upon you. If I fuould name no more, were not her.'enough to ltop the Courfe of a prevailingLult.? If yet you have any Tendernefs left in your H~arts, any fenfe remammg 111 your Confclence, together with their Peace; had you rather hazard the Iofs of thefe, than not gratifie a Corruption? Say to it, What Sin is the!e can bring me in fo much Delightin the Commiffion of it, as God"may pour Ill Terrours afterwan;is? May not1God make my Confcience a Hell incarnate, and empty the Vials of his Wrath into this Velfel, whilll: it is yet an earthly Velfel? And Jhall I ever let a Hell break into my Soul by letting a Lull break forth? Urge againlt a Temptation that irrefragable A;gumcnt which all the Methods and Sophifms of the old Serpent fiJall never be able tO diffolve to all Eternity. If I yeild, either my Confcience will be fenfible of the Sin, or not: If it be fenfiblc., What is there in the Sin that can recompence this Trouble of Confcience? lf it be not fen lible, What is there in t his Sin that can recompence the ftupidity and deadnefs of Co nfcit:ncc ? St ill ei.. ther way the Danger is fo great, .that the Devil hath fc:u ce Impud ence ~nough importunately to urge a Temptation upon that Soul, who fhall urge this Confideration upon it felf. But befides thefe there is, 'Thirdly, Another Danger, and that i.ndeed which fwallows up all t he reft, and that is the Danger of eternal Damnatton. I have before fhewed you how fuch a Legal Confidcration as this is, may be, and is a fit means for Mor,ification. Now bring
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=