g 2 S E R. M O N S upon Serm. XIIÌ. lufieth to. envy : it is not a fleepy , but a working flirting Principle, Rom. 7. 8. Siri wrought in me allmenner of concupifence. If it were a dull and an unadive habit , the danger were not fo great , but it is always working, and putting forth it fell, and feeking to gain an intereft in our Affections, and a command over all our Motions and A&ions. Therefore unlefs we do our part to keep it under, we (hall foon revert to our old flavery : it is like a living Fountain , that poureth out waters, though no body co- meth to drink of it ; though there be nothing to irritate it but Gods Law and the mo- tions of his Spirit, there is a continual fermentation of the corrupt humors in our Souls. 3. It is always warring, as well as working, Rom. 7.23. 1fee another Lam in my mem- bers, warring againft the Law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the Law of fn which is in my members. Sin feeketh to deface all thefe imprefíons of God , which are upon the heart , which bind the Confcience to Holinefs, and to (title all thefe motions that tend to it : that it may alone reign in the heart without controul , it Pets it fell in diced oppofition againft all thofe di &aces of Confcience, and holy motions and infpira- tions, that the Sinner may be fully captivated to do what the fle(h requireth to be done by him ; therefore it mutt be kept under as a Slave , or it will get up as a Tyrant and domineer. One fin that we lea(t fufped may bring us under this flavery , it doth not only make us flexible and yielding to Temptations , but it doth urge and impel us thereunto. We think and fpeak too gently of Corruption , when we think and fpeak of it as a tame thing , that worketh not till it be irritated by the fugge(tions of Satan; no, it rifeth up in Arms againft every thing of God in the heart. 4. The more it a leth , the more it getteth ftrength , as all Habits are increafed by multiplied Ads, and when we have once yielded, we are ready to yield again, as a brand that bath beenonce burned, is more apt to take fire a fecond time : Dent. 29. r9. And it come to pafs , when he heareth the wordy of this :wife, that he Weft himflf in bis heart , faying , I fhall have peace , though I walk in the imagination of my heart, to add druukennefs to thirfi. After men have once committed a fin , they are more vehement to venture on i( again ; at firft we cannot get down fin fo eafily, till an Habit and Cu- ftom hath fmoothed it to our throats. Well then , this bondage is daily increafing, and more bard to be prevented ; by multiplied As a Cuftom creepeth on us , which is as another Nature, and that which might be eafily remedied at firft , groweth more diffi- cult to be fubdued. As Difeafes looked to at firft are eafre to be cured ; but when once they become inveterate, the Cure is more defperate : fo are fins before we are hardened into a Cuftom, Jer. 53. 23. Can an Ethiopian change his shin, or the Leopard his Jots ? then may ye alto do good, who are accufiowed to do evil. No means will then prevail to work it dut of them, or bring them to any good ; the more we fin, the more are we enthralled to fin, as a Nail, the more it is knocked, the more it is fattened into the wood. A Sinner is often compared to a Slave or Servant ; now there were two forts of Servants or Slaves: fuch as were fo by Covenant , and by their own confent; or fuch as were fo by Conqueft, or Surprizal in War. The firft fimilitude is ufed, Rom. 6. 1'6. Know ye not , that to whom ye Meld your fives fervants to obey, his fervants ye are whom ye obey, whether of fin unto death , or of obedience anto righteoufnefs. The other Servant by Conqueft is fpoken of, s Pet. 2. r9. For of whom a man is overcome, of the fame alfa is he brought into bondage. Now thefe Notions I would rank thus, every carnal man at his firft entrance into a courfe of Vanity and Sin , is a Servant by confent, hire, orcontraLe, for he doth confecrate his Life and his Love, his Time and his Care, his Allions and Employments to pleafe his Lutts ; we firft willingly and by our own default give up our felves to this courfe. But the cuftomary Sin- ner by Conquer( , that hath fo cripled and maimed his Faculties, that he cannot be at liberty if he would , then they grow compleat flaves to their Lufts , as Captives in War are fervants to their Conquerors: for whilft they do voluntarily and ordinarily give up themfglves to ferve the Devil , and their own Corruptions without refiflance , or crying to Chrift for help, they are very Bond.flaves and held in chains of darknefs , till the Su- preme Judge execute deferved wrath upon them. Augufine complaineth, Ligatee eram, non ferro alieno, feed med ferreá voluntate, velle meam tenebat inimical, do me mihi catenam fecerat & confirinxerat me: Lord ! I am bound , not with iron, but with an obftinate will , I gave my will to mine enemy , and he made a chain of it to bind me, and keep me from thee , quippe ex voluntate perverfa frith eft libido; & dam f rvitur libidini, facia eft confuetudo ; & duns confoetudini non r fif itur, fatta eft neeeffitas : a perverfe will gave way to lu(tings; and kitting made way for a cuftom; and cuftom let alone, brought a neceffity upon me, that I can do nothing but fin againft thee. Thus are we by little. end
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=