Ver, 20. xxvth Chapter of Sr. MA TT HE W. Jg this is diltaftfull : To meet with mans Corruptions indeed; the Decalogue confilts more of Prohibitions than Precepts ; eight Negatives, the fourth and fifth Corn- mandm_ents only pofitive. To be reftrained, is as diltaltful to us, as for men in a Feaver to be forbidden drink ; Nature is more prone to fin. But to return, there is much Difobedience in a fin of Omiffion :. when Saul had not done what God bid him to do, he telleth 'him, Rebellion is as the fin of Witchcraft, and Stubbornefe 4$ Iniquity and Idolatry, r Sam. a 5.4 1. Implying that Omiffion is Rebellion, and Stubbornnefs paralel to Idolatry and Witchcraft. 2. Partly by the Caufes of them : The general caule is corrupt nature. They. are all become unprofitable, Rom. 3. 12. compared with Pfal. r4. 3. They are altogether be- come filthy -: There is in all by nature a pronenefs to evil, and a backwardnefs to good : Onefimu.c before Converfion was unprofitable, good for nothing, Philem. v. 11. But Grace made a change, made him ufeful in all his Relations : the particular sautes are, (i.) Idlenefs and Security : They are loath to be held at work, Ira. 64. 7. None flirreth up himfelf to lay hold on thee : They forget his Commandments, Jer. 2. 3 I, 32. (2.) Want of Love to God : Ito. 43. 22. Thou hall been weary of me, 0 Ifrael : and Rev. 2. 4. Neverthelefs I havefomething againft thee, becaufe those haft left thy kg Love. And, (3.) Want of 7,eal for Gods glory : Not /loathful in bu- fnefs, fervent in Spirit, fervinv the Lord, Rom. 12. 11. Where there is a fervour, - we cannot be idle and neglelfful of our Duty. There is an Averfion from God, before there is an exprefs Difobedience to him. ' 3. Partly by the 'EPas, Internal, External, Eternal. (1.) internal ; Gifts and Graces languifh for want of Imployment, r Thef.. 5. 19. ,;2uench not thé Spirit : Thomas his Omiffion made way for his Unbelief, 7oh. 20.24. (2.) External ; it bringeth on many Temporal Judgments : God put by Saul from being King for an Omiffion, a Sam. 15. 1 r. le repenteth me for fetting up Saul to be King, for he bath not done the thing. that .I commanded him : forbearing to de- nim, all of Amalek e For this he put by Eli's houle from the Prieftllood, 1 Sam. 3. 13. I will yudge bis houfe for ever, betauf his Sons made themfelves vile, and he re- firained them not : Eli's .Omiffion is punilhed as well as his Sens Commiffion, yet 'twas not a total Omiffion: compare I Sam. 2.. 23, 24, 25. And he fold unto them, why do ye fuch things ? for I hear of your evil dealings by all this People ; nay my Sons, for it is no good report that I hear of you, ye make the Lords People to tranfgrefs : If one man fin againft another, the judge (hall judge him ; but if a man fin againff the Lord, who Aall entreat for him ? not eithftanding they hearkened not to the voice of their Father : His Admonition was grave and ferious, yet 'twas not enough. All Ifrael knew their fin before ; Eli took upon him to reprove them fecietly, whereas the fall was open, and he fhould have pile them to openhame ; and then his Rebukes were mild and foft, he fhould have frowned upon them, 'punifhed them, but his fondnefs would not permit that. (3.) Eternal, here in the Text : Coy? the unprofitable Servant, &c. Thefe fins Chrill will mainly inquire after at the day of Judgment ; 'and verf. 42.43. of this Chap- ter, and Math. 7. 19. Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit, is heaven down and call into the fire ; though not bad or poyfonous fruit : By all thefe Arguments it ap- peareth that fins of Omiffion may be great fins. Thirdly, That Rime fins of Omiffion are greater than others : All are not alike, as the more neceffary the Duties, the more faulty the Omiffion, Heb. 2. 3. How ¡hall we efcape if we neolecT fo great Salvation ? r Cor. 16. 22. If any man love not he Lord Jefus Chry, .let him be Anathema Maranatba : not if a man hate, but if he love not, &c. There are peccata contra remedium, as others, contra officium : By other fins we make the Wound; by thefe we refufe the Plainer. Again, If the Omiffion be total, °ter. lo. 25. -Call not on the Name of the Lords Pfal. 14. 3. None feeketh af- ter God, Again, When feafonable Duties are ueglelted, Math. 25.44. When I was an hunired ye fed me not : 1 Joh. 3. 17. He that bath this worlds goods, and feeth his Brother in need : Prov.'1 7. 16. Why is there a price put into the hand of a Fool ? And then when'tis tale, this is to Rand with God for a trifle, Luk. 16.24. Deft - deravit guttam, qui non dedit micam : Amos 2.6. They fold the poor for a pair of(hoes And when convinced of the duty, lames 4. a7. To him that knoweth to do good, and loth it not, to him it is fin. Fourthly, In many cafes fins of Omifän may be more baimits and more damning than fins of Comm s'ón. (r.) They are the ruine of mo/t part of the carnal world : T 2 Carnal
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