Book IV. S I N f HEAVY BURDEN. S I N A H E A V Y B U R D E N. For my Iniquities are gone over my Head as a heavy Burd~n, they are too hea·vy for me, Pfal. xxxviii. 4· Let us lay ajide every rVeight, and the Sin that doth fo ea.Ji!y beftt us, &c. Heb. xii. r. WEIGHT, Bas@', fignifies feveral Things; ( r.) The Greatnefs of heavenly Glory, 2 Cor. iv. 17. (2.) Trouble, or the Wrath of wicked Men, Prov. xxvii. 3• which often preficth down •h=' Godly. (3.) That which is ponderous, Things, Woros, or Matters of Mom<:nt, in Oppofition to fuch Things, or Words, that arc; light, airy.,. &c. (4.) Sin, becaufe it prdfeth down and is grievous to be borne, &c. Note, Sin is a great Weight or heavy Burdc·n. S I M 1 L E. P A R A L L E L. I.AWeight or Burden that bears !.SIN is aWeight or Burden, that lies heavy upon hard, or lies heavy upon the the Soul of an enlightened Chrifl:ian, and this Breafl: of a. Perfon, ready w crufh is the Caufe it is fo grievous, it prdfeth Jown the him to Pieces, is very grievous, Powers of the noble and fuperior Part of 1hc Crca– worfe to be borne, 1han a \Veight ture. Lay a 'Weight upon a Swne, and 1hat will upon the Legs or Arm~, &c. bear it, and not break or yidd under ir; but ir a great and mighty Weight be laid upon fuch T hings, that are tender, or of a foft Subflance, how forely will it mar and crufh that! Su a ftony-hearted Sinner, though he hath great Mountains of Sin and Guilt lying upon him, he complains not, he is, abs! infenfible, and to ufe the Apoftle's Words, paft f eeling, his Heart being like a Rock, or the nether Millflone; but a poor Saint who!(:'· 1-Jeart is tender, God having taken away the Heart of Ston(, and given him a Heart of Flefi1, he is fenfible of this Burden, his Soul and Confcience cannot bear it, he cries out in great Anguifh and Horror of Spirit, Eph. v. 1 9· Ezek. xxxvi. 26. P[al. xxxviii. 4· !I. :O,ome Weights and Burdens !I. Sin is fuch a Burden or Weight that no Man laid upon fome Men, are fo heavy is able to bear, it will make the fl:outefl Heart to 1hat they cannot be borne, the ach, and the fl:rongefl: Back to lloop; it made llrongefl Man cannot lland under David, that mighty Man of God, to cry out, I them, &c. am troubled, I am bowed down greatly, &c. All my Bones are broken, Pfal. xxxviii. 6. Nay, when this Weight was laid upon the Lord Jefus, whom God made fl:rong for himfelf, how did it crufh him, and caufe him, if I may fo fay, to ftagger and fweat under it, as if it had been great Drops of Blood falling down to the Ground: Ir is fa id his Soul was exceed– inoforrowful, even unto Death, and that he went forward and fell on the Ground, L~ke xxii. 44· He bore our Sins upon his own Body on the Tree. 0 what a Mercy was it, that God laid help upon one who was mighty ; though he was able to bear this Weio-ht, yet how did it make him to cry out, under the Burden of it, Father, if it be po.!fzlle, let this Cup pafs from me, &c. Mark xiv. 22, 23. There is a twofold Weight in Sin. r. As it hinders our J ufl:ification. ?.. As it hinders our SanCtification. The firfl: refpects the Punifhment that is due to it; and that Weight Jefus Chrifl: bore for us, which none was able to du befides himfelf. Ill. A heavy Weight or Burden Ill. So Sin greatly hinders the Saints of God in laid upon a Man that is to run a their fpiritual Race, it is unto them like a heavy Race, is very troublefome, and a Burden, and theretore ought to be cafl: off by great Impediment to him, and them. Let us lay ajide ewry fVeight, and the Sin therefore ought to be cafl: off, &c. that doth fo ea.Ji!y beftt us, and let us run with Pa– He is a very foolifh Man that havtience the Race that is Jet before us, Heb. xii. r. Sin ing a long Race to run, will carry will foon caufe a Chriflian to faint, if he throw it a great Weight or Burden about not off by true Repentance. See Runner. him: Can fuch expeCt to win the .Prize? SIMILE. I. SOME. heavy Weights or Bur– dens, though they cannot be D IS PAR IT Y. I.B UT Sin is fuch a Kind of Burden, that it can– not be borne, either whole or apart; that is 10 R to
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