CHAP. 57. Use 6. If there be so much Evil in sin, it shew the miserable condition of those whose hea
severity of the Word against sin; except you find a willingness to justify God and his Word in all the severity that he does reveal against you in your own sins. I his is the Fifth.
CHAP. LVII.
Use 6. If there be so much evil in sin, it shew the miserable condition of those whose hearts and lives are filled with sin.
Use VI. Another Use is this, If there be so much evil in sin, Then what a miserable condition are those in that be full of sin, whose hearts and lives are filled up to the brim, to the very top, exceeding full of sin. Is there all this evil (that I have spoken of) in the nature of sin? in one sin? (as you have heard) such dreadful evil in the least sin? Oh Lord, what a condition are those in (I say) that are guilty of an infinite number of sins?
It is said, Eccles. 9. 3. The hearts of men are full of evil, full of sin: it is true of all the sons and daughters of men in the world that their hearts be full of sin. A toad is not so full of poison as the heart of every man and woman in the world is full of sin: and that which thou art full of, is such an abominable thing in the eyes of God, as you have heard: yea, and as their hearts are full of sin, so they be fully set to do evil, Eccles. 8. 11. Because Sentence against an evil work is not speedily executed, therefore the hearts of the sons of men are fully set in them to do evil. This is true of all; in their natural condition, their hearts are full of evil, and their hearts are fully set in them to do evil.
All the actions that ever thou didst do, all the thoughts of thy mind, and the words of thy mouth; all the actions of thy life, ever since
thou were born, has been nothing else but sin, if thou be in thy natural estate. This we dare avow, and speak as in the presence of God, That every man and woman not yet converted, had never any thought▪ never spoke word, never did any action in all their lives, but they sinned against God. And if sin be to evil, what an evil case are those men in, who be so full of sin? in all that ever they did in all their lives, yea, their best actions; how full of sin be those? and how miserable is their condition, in that regard; who have given up themselves to follow sin with greediness?
Are there not some of you be¦fore the Lord, whose consciences cannot but •el you that you have given up yourselves to follow the lusts of your own hearts with greediness? to satisfy them to the full? and all your grief has been, that you could satisfy them no more: this has been the condition of many who have lived in a course of sin all their days; yea, and it may be against conscience also; who have been guilty, not only of multitudes of sin, but guilty of such multitudes with woeful aggravations, as against light, against means, against vows: Certainly if sin be such an evil in its own nature, though but any one, if God should set but the least sin, but of thought, upon a mans heart as he may do, he would •ink the stoutest-heart down to the bottomless gulf of despair.
Then what will become of thee if God come to settle all thy abominations upon thy heart altogether? The Floods of ungodly men (said David, Psal. 18. 14.) has made me afraid: The word Men there, is not in the Original; but translated by some, The floods of wickedness have made me afraid. Certainly if God discover the floods of those wickedness that your consciences may tell you, you have been guilty of it cannot but make you afraid: if God come, and set all those sins in order before thy face, it will be a most dreadful
Object and Spectacle.
Let me make use of that Phrase, Job, 6. 12. Is my strength the strength of stones? and my flesh of Brass? So may I say unto those who have such woeful guilt of sin upon them; What is thy strength
the strength of stones, and thy flesh of brass? that thou canst bear the weight and burden of so many, and such horrible transgressions as thou hast been guilty of? when thou hearest that there is so much evil in one sin, and that in the least sin.
We read, Leviticus, 16. 22, 24. of the Scape Goat, that when Aaron and his Sons the Priests, should come and lay his hands upon it, and put the sins of the people upon him, he was to go into the Wilderness, into a desolate place among the wild beasts there; to note the woeful condition of a sinner that has the guilt of multitudes of sins upon him; when he is like that Scape Goat to go into the Wilderness among wild beasts ready to tear him. Thy condition is worse, except thou art delivered from the guilt of sin.
I speak of one under the guilt of sin, it is like to be worse with thee, thou art in a worse condition, than if thou were to live among Tigers, and Bears, and Dragons, ready to tear thee: Certainly thy estate is far worse. If thy body were full of sores, thou wouldest think thy condition very sad, it would cause much dejection of Spirit; but for thy soul to be full of sin, to have so much sin, is worse than if thou hadest plague sores upon thy body from head to foot. If you should see a man, all over from the crown of the head to the sole of the foot, full of plague sores, you would think that man in a sad condition: Certainly the state of every man unconverted, is far worse, because he is all over full of sin, that has so much evil in it.
As for that Doctrine of the fullness of sin in the heart and life of man, that will require another and larger Treatise by it self; therefore I do not intend to fall upon that Doctrine, how man is full of sin in his heart and life; that may be done hereafter: but only for the present, to present this Meditation before you; If so much evil be in every sin, then the fullness of sin must needs put a man or woman in an evil and sad condition: Psal. 73. 10. God said, He will wring out to the wicked, a full cup of wrath, to those full of sin. Job,
20. 11. there it is spoken of the wicked and ungodly, That their bones are full of the sins of their youth.