The Thrid Sermon
The Third SERMON August the 10th, 1645 We are now to come to shew the differences between the spots of wicked men, and godly men, in the different behaviour of their souls about their sin: You shall find that the carriage and behaviour of a godly man about sin, is a great deal different from that that there is in a wicked man; which will appear in many things: As in the first place, First, A godly man, at least in his course and way, he doth not make provision for the flesh, he doth not make provision for sin, he doth not lay in before hand for his sin, as the wicked doth: The making provision for the flesh, it is made in Scripture to be opposite to the putting on the Lord Jesus Christ, in Rom. 13:14. But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lasts thereof: You cannot put on the Lord Jesus Christ and yet make provision for the flesh, both together. Now a wicked carnal hearer, he thinks he can apply Christ, and make provision for the flesh, both at once: It's hard to say what possibly may befall a godly man in a temptation; but certainly, when a godly man may be acquainted with the wayes of Christ, and knows Christ, shall come to put on Jesus
Christ, and apply Christ by Faith, he cannot but see, that the making provision for the flesh, and the putting on Christ at the same time, must needs be incompetible together: The way of the ungodly it is to be plotting and contriving for sin; O! doth thy conscience tell thee that this is thy way, to be in thy thoughts when thou art alone, contriving, plotting, advising, meditating, considering how to accomplish the satisfying of the lusts of thy flesh? thou art the man
that knowest not what it is to put on Christ, and thy spot is not the spot of Gods Children: The Apostle speaking of the sins of the Saints, in Gal. 6. saith he, If any man be overtaken with a fault: ye that are spiritual, restore such a man: As if there were no faults that the Saints were guilty of, but such as they are overtaken with: But now, wicked men, they do overtake their sins, rather than their sins over take them: When a man shall be contriving and plotting, he will have such satisfaction to a sinful lust, I say he seeks to overtake his sin, rather than his sin overtakes him: That's the first thing.
Secondly, Suppose the sin hath in some measure overtaken a Saint:
Yet in the second place, it is not easily entertain'd: Suppose sin did come and present it self, and follow a Child of God, I say, sin is not easily entertain'd, it is not admitted upon easie terms; a wicked man will admit of his sin upon very easie terms, some sin at least. If your servants shall leave the door by the latch, you will suspect them to be in covenant with the Thief, that they are one plotting with the other;
So when any man shall admit of a sin upon easie terms, that sin shall get in easily into the soul, it's a sign there is a league between the soul and sin. A gracious heart is watchful against sin, and is careful to keep it out, to lock and bolt it out: It will not leave the door at latch, so as to admit of sin upon easie terms.
Thirdly, Yet, suppose sin hath got in, a gracious heart is easily convinc't of his sin, a little matter will convince him, after his sin hath overcome him; he will not stand pleading for his sin, he will not stand in defence of his sin, so as a wicked man doth: we find David, though a King, and a man of a notable Spirit, yet in 2 Sam. 12 when
Nathan came to him to tell him of his sin, presently saith David to Nathan, in the 13. v. I have sinned against the Lord: Nathan told him
that he was the man, he did not stand out, Why, prove it if you can; who is able to say that I did this and this wickedness? No, I have sinned against the Lord: He falls down before the word of the Prophet, and acknowledges his sin, he is easily convinc't of his sin, if he be godly: Whereas a wicked man will stand pleading for his sin, pleading against it, that he hath not committed it, except that you find him out by some apparent hand; he will be pleading for his sin, either that he is not guilty, or if he be guilty, that it is not so great, it is but his nature: O! a godly man pleads not after this manner:
Nature! he looks upon his sin as so much the more vile because it proceeds from such a wicked and cursed nature of his, and therefore
David, in Psal. 51. when he was acknowledging the act of sin that he had been guilty of, when he comes to consider of his nature, O! I was conceived in sin (saith he) and brought forth in iniquity: He makes this to be a great aggravation of his sin, because is did flow from such a wicked nature: It is an Argument of gross ignorance, of a man or woman that knows not the things of God, and is not acquainted with Scripture, to plead for a sin, That it is their nature; It is the worse because of that: If a Thief should come to the barr, and plead before the Judg, Indeed I have committed this theft, but it is my nature; would this be a plea before a Judg? and certainly this plea will not go before the great Judg of all the World, to say, it is thy nature; No, the Saints know their sin is aggravated by that —— Secondly, Neither will a Child of God ordinarily plead that it is a temptation; O! I, it is a temptation that hath prevaild against me, I was tempted to it, and such and such were the cause of it; I, but a gracious heart will rather charge the wickedness that is within it, then charge a temptation; for the truth is, temptation could never prevail against us, were it not for the wickedness of our hearts; temptations came to Christ, but the
Devil finding nothing in him, as the Scripture speaks, therefore could they not prevail over him: And were it not for the baseness of thy heart, temptations would not prevail; therefore for thee to put it off,
It is thy temptation, O this is a carnal plea: I, but a gracious heart will charge himself before the Lord, O! it is his own wickedness.
Thirdly, Much less will a gracious heart put of his sin to God himself, and say, When God gives me more grace, I shall do better; but I cannot do any thing of my self; and therefore because God gives me no grace, that's the reason I fell into such sins: This is the boldness of the hearts of men and women, to think to put off all their sins upon God himself, as if there were no other reason why they commit sin, but because God is the cause of it: As for their part, they would do better, but onely God denies them his grace, and so they think to put off all from themselves, even to God. But know, the Lord will find thee out one day, and he will charge thy sin upon thy self, and thy destruction and thy wickedness it is from thy self, a gracious heart will not plead for sin after such away as this is: It's very dangerous when you hear of any that make profession of Religion, to plead for their loosness after such a manner as this is. We have cause to fear that their spot is not the spot of Gods Children.
Fourthly, When sin hath prevailed in some measure against a Child of God, yet he is quickly stopt in sin; he is easily convinc't of it, pleads not for it, and is ready to be stopt; a little thing will stop the course of his sin. O! any truths of God that come to him, his heart having a principle within it, suitable to the truths of God, his heart closes with those truths, and so comes to be stopt in his course: A wicked man sins, and having no principle of grace sutable to any truth of God, when any thing opposes his sin: his heart opposes that that would
oppose sin, But a Child of God, though he be overcome with a sin, yet when the truth of God comes, it meets with something within the heart that is sutable to the truth, and it presently closes together: You have a notable example for that in the Prophet David, 1 Sam. 25:32.
For the understanding of it, you may cast your eye upon some verses before; you shall find that David was in a way of sin; That his choller had got up and prevail'd against him, and he was about a very wicked act, to avenge himself, and be guilty of blood: But Abigal meets with David in his way, when he was in the say of sin, and shews him in a very fair manner, the evil of his course, if he should accomplish what he did intend; And mark, David, though his blood was up, yet when
Abigal came and spake but reason to him, to shew to him what the evil of his sin was like to be, Davids spirit falls, and David said to Abigal, Blessed be the Lord God of Israel which sent thee this day to meet me: And blessed be thy advice, and blessed be thou, which hast kept me this day from coming to shed blood —— When David was in a mighty heat, in a way of sin: O! if a man should come to some of you when your passion is up, and you are resolved to do such and such a thing, if a man should come and plead the case fairly with you, that such a thing is evil, it's a sin against God; You will presently answer, I will, and I will, I care not, and let come of it what will come,
I will do it; thus when the lust is up, there is no gainsaying of it, and no truth can stand against it; But now if the heart were gracious, though corruptions may be stirring for a while, yet let any truth of God come and be suggested to such a soul, it meets with something within that is sutable to it, and presently the heart will be ready to fall down, Oh blessed be God, and blessed be your Counsel, and blessed be God that hath hindred me from such a way of sin! O my retched nature was stirring and working, and I was resolved to have
done such and such a thing; if the Lord had not in mercy sent you to have stopt me is such a way, O what might I have done! here now is the spirit of David. O consider this you that will plead sometimes for David sins, and did not David commit such a sin, you will say? I, but then take notice how quickly David was convinc't, and how soon was stopt in his sin.
Fifthly, There's no godly man whatever, though he hath many sins in him, yet there is no sin that reigns over him: This is a certain truth, that there is no man or woman in the World that hath the least degree of grace, that is under the power of any reigning sin: Sin may dwell, but not reign in them, and the Scripture is so express in this, that there can be no gainsaying of it: Rom. 6:14. For sin shall not have dominion over you; why? for ye are not under the Law, but under Grace; That soul that is under the dominion of any sin, is under the Law, that is, it is under the curse of the Law, it's in the state of nature, it hath no interest in Christ: But now if the soul come once to be under grace, either sin must not have domminion over you, or God must not be faithful, one of them; for this is the promise of the Holy Ghost, If you be under grace, sin shall have no more dominion over you: He doth not say, that if you be under grace, then you shall commit no more sin; but sin shall have no dominion over you; therefore that man or woman over whom any one sin hath dominion, certainly is not under grace; This is the word of God, and O that God would carry it unto the consciences of whom it doth concern this day, that whosoever is under the dominion and reign of any sin, that soul for the present is not under grace, he hath no interest in the grace of Jesus Christ.
Now you will say, for the reign and dominion of sin, What's that?
*First, It's apparent in a great many, that they are under the reign of sin, that is, such men can go on constantly in a way of known-sins, meerly for contentment unto the flesh; why these are under the power and reign of sin: Yea, sometimes a sin that is a secret sin, may be a reigning sin: A man may be the subject of a King that he never saw in all his life: Perhaps he knows not where the King is, and yet he may be his Subject, and he may reign over him: So a secret sin may be a reigning sin: That's a reigning sin that a man gives himself up to, though it be in never so secret a way: There's a difference between a Tyrant that cometh violently to force men to submit to him, or one that comes with a sudden surprise, or with any cunning wayes to perswade men to come in to submit to him, and a Prince that is upon his Throne reigning, and having his Subjects acknowledging themselves to be as Subjects to him: Now the sins of the wicked they are reigning, that is, their sins command them, and they yeeld up their very wills unto their sins; the wills and the affections, it is in the sin; There is nothing more in the will of a natural man, then his sin:
And therefore the Scripture makes these to be all one, the will of man, and the will of the flesh: Now when the will yeelds up to the wayes of sin, then sin may be said to be in the Throne: But now in a godly man there is a universal, spiritual, and irreconcilable opposition unto sin; though there be sin abiding in him, yet I say, there is a universal, spiritual, irreconcilable opposition unto his sin; sin doth not reign in a soul: so long as there is an opposition in a kingdom to any man, certainly he cannot be said to reign: I say, if there be a universal opposition. Now in the soul of a Child of God there is an opposition to sin, a universal one, a spiritual one, and I may put a fourth, a powerful, universal, spiritual, irreconcilable opposition: I'le open these.
First, A powerful opposition: That is, he doth not onely wish that he could not sin, and wish that he might be otherwise, but he makes it to be the great work of his life above all things in the World, to set himself against his sin; so is if God would speak from Heaven and say unto him, Poor creature! what wouldest thou that I should do for thee? this soul would answer to God, Lord, thou that knowest all things, knowest this is the unfeigned desire of my soul above all things, O give me but power against my sin, and especially against those special sins that my nature is most inclinable to. O! this is that that my heart is most against. Many people extreamly deceive themselves in this, in thinking that they oppose their sins, because they have some wishes, and desires, they would be glad that things were better with them then they are: I, but dost thou look upon it as a matter of life and death, and thereupon thy soul doth more strongly work in its opposition against thy sin, then against any thing in the World besides? many men and women have strong spirits in following their sins, but their spirits are not strong in the opposing of their sins: But he that is gracious, makes it to be his greatest and chiefest work.
And then the Second thing, It is a universal opposition; and that in these Two regards.
First, All the faculties in the soul do rise up against sin: There is some kind of opposition in a wicked man against sin, that is, his conscience sometimes doth oppose the lusts that there is in his affections: It may be, a wicked man hath a convinc't conscience; and his conscience will not let him to be at quiet; but in his affections there is a liking of sin, onely his conscience will not let him be at quiet: —— You will say, how shall a man discern this? You may discern it thus; If the
opposition be meerly in your conscience and not in your heart and affections, then, though indeed you dare not for the present commit such a sin, yet you could wish with all your heart that you might have liberty to do it; you could wish that there were not such a Law to forbid it; you could be glad that that Law were more loose: And you would fain have such a thing not to be a sin; and if you could commit it quietly without any danger, you would do it: Now the opposition is not in your will, it is onely in your conscience: This is an opposition to sin that a carnal heart may have; that is, he may have his conscience so flye in his face, as that he shall not dare for the present to commit his sin, no not in secret; a man may come so far: You will say, Indeed, many hypocrites may go thus far, as not to commit sin before others, but yet if it be in secret, then they will do it; No, a natural conscience may be able to carry a man to this height, that is, not onely to abstain from sin because of others, but from the acts of sin in secret, that he dares not for his life (though there be none but God and himself together) give way to his sin, and yet no savinggrace all this while: —— You will say, how can that be? because though his conscience will not let him be quiet, yet he would be glad to have his sin if he might; here's no change of nature that's the evidence, that there is no grace; for if a man abstain from sin out of a principle of grace, it is from the change of his nature; and certainly here's no change of nature in this: so that it is not a universal opposition, it's but onely in one part of his soul: But now the opposition of a gracious heart it is in the whole soul; not onely my conscience is against my sin, but my will, and my affections; I have a principle in my will and affections, as well as in my conscience; all the faculties of the soul do oppose the sin.
And then Secondly, It's universal, that is, there's the opposition of all sin: not onely of some particular sin, but of every sin; what ever the sin be, yet the heart doth oppose it: So as it can appeal to God, Lord, thou that knowest all things, knowest there is not one way of wickedness in me, there's not one sin that my soul gives way to, but there is in my heart an opposition against every sin.
And then I say, It's a spiritual opposition; by that I mean this, that it's an opposition, not from arguments onely without that, because of the danger, or shame, or prejudice that will come by it; but the opposition is from a contrary stream of grace that there is in the heart: There's such a temptation to sin; but a carnal heart may think if I commit it, then there may come this ill, and the other evil of it, and so I will not commit it: But a gracious heart doth not oppose onely from such arguments, but from a contrary stream of grace that there is in the soul; now when the opposition to sin comes from a contrary stream of grace, then the opposition is not onely to keep sin from acting, but indeed it doth decreass the habits of sin: And this should be the care of a godly man or woman, not meerly to keep in, that is, to restrain sin, but let me oppose the habits of sin: Let me find the habits of my sin to be weakned and mortified in me: Let me follow my corruption to the very root of it, and there labour to get the very root of my corruption to be deaded: O here's the work of a Child of God!
As now in the opposition of a stream of water, water that runs in such a stream, there may be two wayes to oppose it: Either you may make a damm, and so damm it up: —— Or otherwise, if there could be gotten a contrary stream, and so by that to overpower it, this would be another manner of opposition then meerly the damming of
it up: If you damm up a stream, it rises up higher and higher, and seeks to get vent one way or other; but if there were a contrary stream that would carry it smoothly away: —— So 'tis when the sins of wicked men are opposed, not onely when they are opposed by their friends, that these will not let them commit such a sin; but when their very consciences oppose their sin, their sin swells up the more, and they seek all evasions how they can get to have liberty to the commission of their sin; and if once they have but broken over the damm, they run with more violence; as many young people, when they are under government, their sin is but damm'd up, and their sins are swelling, and their hearts would fain have vent for their sin, but they dare not: But then afterwards when they come to be for themselves, their sin breaks out so much the more: But a gracious heart hath a new nature which God hath put into the soul, which is contrary to the nature of sin: That's the spiritual way of opposition of sin.
And then it's an irrecocinlable opposition; that is, such a soul that hath any truth of grace, will never be reconcil'd with any one sin: It resolves with it self, what ever becomes of me, yea though I should perish eternally, yet I am resolved to fight against my sin eternally:
Yea, at such a time as a soul is afraid that God will cast it away for ever, yet at that time such a soul would be loath to sin against God
—— You shall have some men that have horrors of conscience, and they are afraid that God will cast them off; why then upon that, then
I had as good leave of all, say they; and if I must be damn'd, I had as good be damn'd for somewhat; O this is a sign that grace hath not got into thy heart: But there's another now, that hath some principles of grace got into his soul, and it may be such a one may have terrors of conscience too, and may be afraid that at last it shall be cast away:
But yet it concludes thus; Well, whatsoever becomes of me, let God do with me what he will, yet I will do what I can to honour him: The name of God is blessed for ever, what ever becomes of me: And therefore that evil of mine that is in my heart, I am resolved to set my self against to the uttermost for ever —— Now this is a sign that there is grace, though much corruption doth very much prevail.
You may see now as I go along, thus much, that there may be spots in one, and spots in the other; But here's a great deal of difference between the sins of the one, and the sins of the other.
Further, Consider the grounds upon which wicked men do ordinarily sin: Godly men can rarely be found to commit sin upon such rounds as wicked men do! —— There are many grounds upon which wicked men go, to the commission of sin: —— I shall but yet in the naming of them, I do verily perswade my self I may speak to many of your hearts.
As thus: Commit a sin, why it's but one, and I will not live in many sins: It's but one sin that I would live in; and in that I hope God may favour me: What, not in one! —— Why, Godly men will not do so; where was there ever a godly man on the face of the Earth that would allow himself in a sin because it was but one? ——
Secondly, Saith a carnal heart, It's but one, and it's a little one: I will not commit such gross sins as others do, I will not swear, and openly profane the Sabbath, and be drunk, and a Whore-master: But sins in thought, and of a lesser nature, I hope they may be born with-all?
And what need a man be so strict and precise? I, but know, that a gracious heart would never reason after such a manner; O no, such a one knows, that the least sin is a greater evil then the greatest
affliction; that there is more evil in the least sin, then there is in all the torments of Hell besides: And a godly man that understands the wayes of God, doth know, that the least sin must have the blood of Jesus Christ to purge it out, that is more worth then ten Thousand worlds; and therefore he will not allow himself in the least, because it is a little one.
The Third ground is this:
Why, the best of all have their sins as well as we: Those that we read of in Scripture, have they not fallen into foul sins: But I beseech you mark, though godly men have their infirmities, yet shew me any example that ever there was since the beginning of the World, any one godly man that did plead for his sin upon this account, because another godly man had committed it: O! he doth not commit sin upon such a ground as this is: He will not venture upon the practice of sin, because he sees others are guilty of it as well as himself; Oh no, If God hath dishonour by another, let me take heed how I add to this dishonour, saith a gracious heart.
Fourthly, Another ground is, because their sin is not so bad as the sins of others; mine is not the worst: Come and rebuke them for a sin, why, God grant you never do any worse —— Indeed in matters of affliction we may reason from a less to a greater, and take up a less to prevent a greater; but in matters of sin we should never make such comparisons; there is a kind of infiniteness in sin, and the least sin is enough to be my eternal ruine: What's that to me because others do worse? I beseech you consider of it, as we name these things, for I do not stand to enlarge every one: For the truth is, there's never a one of these but might be inlarged into a Sermon, and might be a great use
to take away these grounds of sin upon which ungodly men do commit their sin.
Fifthly, Another is this: A wicked heart will venture upon sin, why, because he hears that God is merciful, and God's not so strict as many make him: This is a sign thy spot is not the spot of Gods
Children: Where do we ever find that a gracious heart would ever reason thus, there is mercy with the Lord and therefore let me sin? O no, the reasonings of a gracious heart are, There is mercies with thee,
O Lord, that thou mayest be feared, and therefore thou shalt be feared: Not, there are mercies with thee and therefore thou shalt be dishonoured; If there be such kind of reasonings in thy heart, that thou venturest upon sin upon this ground, because God is merciful, know, that the Lord speaks to thy soul this day, that thy spot is not the spot of Gods Children.
Sixthly, And farther, Not onely because God is merciful, but God hath been already merciful; Indeed I hear that there is a great deal of danger in sin, but I have liv'd all this while, and nothing hath come of it; O! for men to sin upon reasoning of Gods patience! because the Lord hath been patient and suffered them all this while: O this is wicked boldness in thy heart, thou knowest not with whom it is thou hast to deal: Thou hast escaped all this while, O but a sinner a hundred years old shall be accursed: Thy spot is not the spot of Gods
Child, that dar'st venture upon thy sin because thou hast escap'd so long a time as thou hast done.
Seventhly, And then yet farther; There's another ground that is worse then all these, that some will venture upon sin, why, because Jesus
Christ hath died for sinners, because there is a purchase for the
pardon of sin: Oh this is a most desperate turning the grace of God into wantoness, to dare to venture upon the commission of thy sin because Christ came to purchase the pardon of sin! why, did not Jesus Christ come into the World to dissolve the works of the Devil, and dost thou make Jesus Christ to be a means to strengthen the works of the Devil: Bold and presumptuous heart! the Lord rebuke thee, that dost account the blood of Jesus Christ not onely as a common thing, but as a polluted thing, as an unclean thing; surely thy spot is not the spot of Gods Children.
Eighthly, Another ground is this: A temptation comes to sin, and they will venture upon it: Why? they hope they shall repent afterwards; and though I do sin, it is but repenting afterwards; and if I do repent afterwards, then my sin shall be forgiven me, and not laid to my charge: But have you any thing in Scripture, That any Child of God committed sin upon such a ground as this is? and if thou dost so, thy spot likewise is not the spot of Gods Children: O foolish and base heart, thou wilt do that now, that thou dost know thou mayest wish thou had'st never done: This is infinite folly; and surely God doth not leave his Children to such wickedness as this is, to venture upon sin upon such grounds as these are.
Ninethly, Another ground may be this: They will venture upon it; why? because it may possibly stand with grace: You shall hear sometimes, many that make some kind of profession, to be reasoning after this manner: They will not indeed commit such things as they think cannot possibly stand with grace; but if they think it may possibly stand with grace, they will make that to be the ground of their venturing upon it: O wretched and vile heart, that shalt thus reason to commit sin, because it may possibly stand with grace!
Suppose it should be so, that many a man that commits such a sin should go to Heaven; but is it possible that a man commiting sin upon such a ground, may go to Heaven: There's a great deal of difference between a thing done, and a thing done upon such a ground.
Tenthly, Lastly, (though many others might be named) for a man to venture upon a sin, why, because he hath done much good: This likewise is not the spot of Gods Child, for one to sin upon such a ground: I have done some good, and therefore I may venture upon some sin: This is the wickedness of a mans heart, that if he hath (as they use to say) kept his Church, he thinks he may have liberty in the week-day the more; if he be devout upon the Lords day, he may take liberty so much the more upon the week-day: O this is an Argument of a base and carnal heart, that knows not the wayes of God: To take liberty upon sin at one time, because they have been devout, and done good at another time: That's the next head, the different grounds.
I shall name but one thing more:
That a godly man in the commission of sin, he makes his falling into one sin, to be a means to help him against that sin, and against many others: If the Lord shall let him fall into some one sin, I say, he will make that to be a means to cleanse many others; but especially, to take heed against that sin: The bespotting of himself in some one spot, will be a means for the cleansing of many spots: Though he dare not commit sin upon that ground, yet it falls out so in the effect:
As sometimes, if there be a few small spots in a Childs Coat, you regard not them; but if there be some great spot, it causes you to
wash the whole Coat: So it is with one that hath any grace, if the Lord (notwithstanding his watchfulness and care) shall let him fall into some great spot, he makes this use, To be cleansing and washing of his soul, not onely from that spot, but from all other spots he knows in himself; but especially, to set himself against that particular sin, he will take heed of ever falling into that again:
C And therefore give me an example in all the book of God, where any one man that was godly, committed the same sin twice: I say, after an act of repentance: It's true Peter denyed his Master thrice, I, but that was as a continued thing, it was not after Peters heart was smitten and humbled, after his conviction and repentance —— And for my part, I know no example from Genesis to the Revelation, of any one Child of God that fell twice into an outward Act; I do not say, that sins of thought, they may be repented of, and fallen into again, though the heart do labour and strive against them; but for an outward act of sin that any Child of God did ever fall into after God had shown him the evil, and he had repented of it: —— And therefore the condition must needs be sad, when it is such as there can be no example in all the Scriptures to parallel it: For I appeal to thee, thou the makest any Profession of Religion, and thou fallest into some act of sin; Either thy Conscience doth accuse thee, and thou dost repent, or it doth not accuse thee, and thou dost not repent: If thy
Conscience doth not accuse thee, and thou dost not repent, that's a sign thy heart is not troubled: —— Well, if thy heart be troubled, and thou hast repented, give me an example of any one Child of God, that fell into such an act of sin again —— Yea, I shall shew you in divers examples in Scripture, that evermore those Children of God that have been overtaken with their sin, they have been more eminent in that grace that is most contrary to that sin, than in any other grace.
Peter he fell through cowardise, to betray his Master: But yet when the Scripture speaks of him afterwards, it notes him specially for his boldness, in John 21:7. Therefore the Disciple whom Jesus loved, saith unto Peter, it is the Lord; now when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he girt his fishers Coat unto him, and did cast himself into the Sea: Oh the love of Peter towards Christ after he had denyed him! He had denyed Christ; but now he was the most forward in his love to Christ; he would not stay till Christ came to the ship, but throws himself into the Sea, that he might presently be with Christ; he had broke his love before, and now you see how eminent he is in love above the other Disciples! —— And so in boldness; In Acts 2:14.
When the Jews did mock at the Apostles and Disciples, the Text saith, That Peter standing up with the eleven, lift up his voice, and said unto them, Ye men of Judea: Not any of the other would speak, but Peter he appears the most forward; I, it was because Peter had denyed Christ, and therefore he would be the most forward in manifesting love to Christ —— You cannot have comfort that your spot is the spot of Gods Children, except, if you have been overcome with a sin, yet afterwards you grow not up in that grace that is most eminently contrary to that sin.
Another example we have of Nichodemus: Nichodemus he began to have some work of grace upon him, but the Scripture notes him for a very timerous man, and that was his special infirmity, that he was afraid, and so would come to Christ by night: Now afterwards when the Scripture takes notice of this Nichodemas, especially it observes him for his boldness, for that which was contrary to that sinful distemper of his heart before. This you have in John 19:39. And there came also Nichodemas, Which at the first came to Jesus by night,
and brought a mixture of Myrrhe and Alots, about One hundred weight: Then took they the body of Jesus: He appeared now openly.
The third is Joseph of Arimathea, v. 38. And after this, Joseph of Arimathea, being a Disciple of Jesus, but secretly for fear of the Jews, besought Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus: He was at the first step a Disciple; but dare not appear; but afterwards he is noted for one of the most forward of all, and would go and own him before Pilate himself, yea, and at that time when Christ was in his lowest condition: That's a sign indeed of grace, to own Christ when he is in the lowest condition, when he was crucified and dead; yet now to appear to own him, and that before Princes! O! the Scripture takes special notice of those that had fallen into sin, that afterwards they grew more eminent in that grace that was contrary to that sin, thin any other: As it is with a bone that is set, it is more strong then before; and so it is usual with those that are godly, if they be once overcome with their sin, they afterwards grow more strong against that sin: And thus even Acts come to decrease Habits; and that's a Paradox in Philosophy, it's true in Divinity, That the acts of the Saints sin, come not only to restrain them from falling into them again, but it is used by God to decreass the habits of their sin. Now I beseech you carry home these things to your souls; and O that the Lord would cause you to lay your hand upon your hearts, and say,
Lord have mercy upon me; we are indeed all sinners, but we see that God will find a difference between one sin and another; and though all have their spots, yet, as for my part, I am afraid that my spot is not the spot of Gods Children.