Serm. 138 SERMONS upon T.l fe 1. To roufe us out of a ftate of Sin. Men would not lie fo long in it,if they would recolle& themfelves and confider , what have I gotten truce I was the Devils bond. (lave, but a blind Mind , a troubled Confeience , and a hard Heart , and it may be flame and difgrace in the World ? Now what a folly is it for any one to purfue that which will bring him no fruit ? One beginneth to be awakened , when he beginneth to fay , yob 33. 27. I have7nned, and perverted that which is right , and it profited me not. Whatfo- ever fin promifeth, or (inners fancy, it will be found at laft an unprofitable courfe, what do men get by drinking, gameing, chambering and wantonnefs, what by all the lulu of youth, and the bold attempts of riper years, but an ill Name, and a work Confcience, a difeafed Body, and many times an encumbred Eflate? They turn their back upon God to their greatdifadvantage. God is willing to (land to this tryal, that his Service doth us no hurt, 3er. 2. 5. What iniquity have your fathers found in me, that they are gone far from use, and have walked after vanity, and are become vain? Yea, that it will do us much good, Mie. 2.7. Do not my words do good to him that walketh uprightly ? But fin cannot (rand the tryal, it doth us much hurt now, and will do us more hereafter, Prov. 5. 11,12. And those mourn at lag, when thy Nis and thy body are confirmed, and fay, How have I hated inflruïlion, and my heart bath degufed reproof? vfe 2. To prevent As of Sin for the time to come. It is good often to put this Queftion , Cui bono ? What doth it ? Ecclef. 2. 2. What (hall I gain by thefe vain de- lights and finful pra &ices ? To take pains to no purpofe is folly , to an ill purpofe is un- natural and felf- deftru &ion. Ask what doth it? To my Body? a modell temperance will keep it in better plight , and freer from difeafes than a gluttonous pampering of it. To my Eflate? a little with the Fear of God is better than great Revenues with fin. To my Soul ? (hall I be more chearful to ferve God , or my mind in a better pofture for the high ufes of Religion ? To my eternal Elate ? am I in the way to Hell , or to Heaven ? If men would but commune with themfelves oftner , what am f now a doing? What will come of it? it may be I (hall get a little worldly pelf, but what is this to the lofs of Gods Favour, or to the lofs of my Soul ? We are often quarrelling with God , what profit is it that I ferve the Almighty , and pray unto him ? Mal. 3. 14. re have faid, It is vain to ferve God : and what profit is it , that we have kept his ordinances , and that we have walked mournfully before the Lord ofHoffs? So Job 21. 15. What it the Almighty, that we fhould ferve him ? and what profit fbould we have, if we pray unto him ? Surely we (hould do as much on the other fide , what will fin come to ? What profit by this fenfual carelefs life, this hunting after the World , and negle&ingGod and my precious immortal Soul ? Secondly, The fecond Diffwafion or Argument, which the Apofile ufeth, is à turpi, it is a bate thing, implied in that Claufe, Whereof ye are now afhamed. You had no folid benefit then, and you cannot review your part ftnful life without frame. The words may be confidered under a twofold Reference : L As it is an A& of Repentance in the Godly. II. As it fers forth the evil and odioufnefs of Sin. 1. As it is an A& of Repentance in the Godly 5 after ye came to better knowledge, ye were afhamed of thofe things ye took pleafure in before, therefore now meddle no more with them. Do &tine. That Gods People are, and ought to be afhamed of their pall Sins. There are two things in Sin, 1. The Guilt of it. 2. The Folly and Filthinefs of it. The Guilt caufeth Fears and Terrors with refpe& to the Wrath of God which is to en- fue : But the Folly and Filthinefs of Sin caufeth (borne. Man is a rational Creature, and therefore is afhamed of what is foolifh, and was at firfl made an holy Creature, and to injoy Communion with an holy God , and therefore Turpitude and Filthinefs is a caufe of (haute. Now it requireth a quick and more tender fenfe to be fenfible of the Folly and Filthinefs of Sin, than to be fenfible of the Wrath due to Sin 5 but all thofe who are brought tiptoe to God, are fenfible of both. A man covered with noifom Boils and Sores, is not only affe&ed with the pain, but abhorreth the fight and knell of them, but fide he feeleth the pain; fo the firft work is Terror, men are pricked at heart, A&s 2.37. before they have a light of their Folly and Filthinefs 5 the Soul beginneth to come on finely , when it is brought to that, it is gratins in re: to be fenfble of this Folly is the full r
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