CHAP. 58 Use 7. If there be so much Evil in sin, how dreadful a thing it is for men or women to deli
Thy life is full of sin, thy bones may be full of the sins of thy youth: many youths, young people, run on in great iniquities in the times of their youth; and multiply sins, and ad sin to sin: well, know that thy youthful sins, may prove thy ages terror; and thou that art so full of sins when young, and given up to all kind of sin now, hereafter thy bones may be full of the sins of thy youth.
Thus much for this Use likewise, because that it would require a Doctrine by it self. I proceed to another.
CHAP. LVIII.
Use 7. If there be so much evil in sin, how dreadful a thing it is for men or women to delight in sin.
Use VII. IF there be so much evil in sin as you have heard, mark then further what follows: What a dreadful thing is it for men and women to delight in sin, and rejoice in sinful ways, to make a sport of sin: What infinite impudence is this for a creature to make merry and rejoice in sin against God? Hast thou nothing to be merry withal? Hast thou nothing to rejoice in but sinning against the Almighty?
What? shall there be so much revealed to thee concerning the dreadful evil of thy sins, and yet you so far from being convinced, that there is so much evil in it, as you rather look upon it, as having more good in it, than there is in God himself, and Christ, and Heaven, and all the glorious things of eternal life? for so does every man and woman that makes any sinful way their chief joy; I say, they are so far from being convinced of so much evil in it, as has been declared, as that they do rejoice in it, as if there were more
good in it, than there is in God himself, or Christ, or any thing revealed in the Word concerning the treasures of the riches of the grace of God in Christ.
This is horrible wickedness: it is an horrible evil in thy heart, that such an evil as sin is, should be so suitable to thy heart; that there should be any suitableness between thy heart, and so great an evil as sin is.
Yes note that thou hast a very cursed heart, that should be suitable to that which is so evil; a very poisonous heart, that there should be so much agreement between that which is so poisonous, and the temper of thy heart: True, a toad will take poison, and it is suitable to it, it lives upon it, and takes delight in it, as you do in meat and drink.
Now those that can make sin their meat and drink; as Christ said, It is meat and drink to do the Will of my Father; so it is meat and drink to many ungodly men and women to do wickedly. Now hereby thou art declared to be a toad, to be of a venomous nature, that hast such a suitableness between thy Nature and sin. Sure nothing but a venomous toad can delight in poison: so nothing but a heart more venomous and loathsome than a toad is to the daintiest Lady in the world to put a toads head to their mouth; I say, none but such a heart can take delight in a sinful and ungodly way.
Suppose there were a suitableness between the corrupt humors in thy soul and sin; yet now thou hast heard so much of the evil of it, it is a cursed madness in thee to take delight in it, because it is suitable to thy Nature: What canst thou delight to drink sweet poison? because poison is sweet, and comes to be suitable because of the sweetness? If thou know it to be poison, and strong poison, what a madness were it in thee, to drink a whole draught only because 'tis sweet?
There is the same madness in all men and women in the world that can take pleasure in sin, because there is sweetness in it, and the suitableness of it unto their corrupt nature. There is not only difference, but contrariety between thy heart and a godly mans; a godly man or woman had rather suffer all the torments in the world, than endure that which thou makest thy chief Joy. What a contrariety to God, and the Nature of God? what a difference between the Nature of God and thee? That which is a burden to the Spirit of God, is the most delightful thing in the world to thy spirit.
Yes, what a desperate heart hast thou, that that which murdered Christ, thou canst delight in. Certainly where there is delight and pleasure in sin; sin increases infinitely; there must be most desperate increase of sin. For as it is with grace, those men and women that have gracious hearts, and come to make the ways of godliness their delight once; Oh they grow up in godliness; no men and women grow up in godliness so as these do that come to make the ways of God their delight. If you would grow up in grace, make the ways of God your delight, and then you will grow in grace.
So contrarily, those men and women that come to make any ways of sin their delight, and joy of their hearts, they grow up in sin, in a most dreadful manner. And be it known unto you, that according unto the measure of your delight in sin, so shall be the bitterness and torment that you shall endure hereafter. As Rev. 18. 7. it is said of Babylon, So much as she has glorified her self, so much torment give her.
So God will say of all sinners, that has taken pleasure in unrighteousness; So much as you have rejoiced in sin, so much torment give that soul. Yea, the time will come that God will take as much delight in your destruction, as you have delighted in sinning against him. Prov. 1. latter end, God will laugh at their destruction, and mock when their fear cometh.
Is there never a man or woman here in this congregation that has committed sin and laughed at it? or made some others commit sin and laugh at it? I speak to you as in the name of God, Is there not one man or woman whose conscience tells them, I have sworn an oath, or told a lie, and laughed at it? made another drunk and laughed at it? Dost thou laugh at sin? rejoice at sin? take heed, come in quickly, thou hadst need fall down and mourn bitterly at Christ's feet; otherwise certainly thou art the man or woman at whose destruction God will laugh another day.
It were thy wisdom rather to howl and cry out in anguish of Spirit, because of sin, than to make it matter of jollity and joy; Let us all take heed of making our selves merry with sin: We must not play with edge tools.
There is a notable place we have Prov. 26. 18, 19. As a mad man, who casts fire brands, arrows, and death, so is the man that deceives his neighbor, and said, Am I not in Sport? I beseech you consider this text, many of you will cozen and cheat your neighbors, and when you have done, make a jest, and mock of it that you cozened and cheated: so what the Holy Ghost speaks to such a man, and this
Scripture culs out that man and woman whosoever they be that ever deceived their neighbor. And afterwards when they come among their companions, laughed at it. As mad men or women (mark what the text said) who casts fire-brands, arrows, and death.
So is the man that deceives his neighbor, and said, Am I not in Sport? and it is but a jest, and a matter of nothing, and can jeer him, when he has done: mark, this is a mad man that casts fire-brands, arrows, and death; Oh that God this day, would cast a fire-brand, and arrows, and every sentence of death upon thy heart that hast been guilty of this, and not humbled to this day for it, Oh it is the fool as I have shewed, makes a mock of sin. What? Canst thou commit a wickedness, be drunk, or unclean, or filthy, and then thou afterward go and tell thy companions, and make a sport, or a mock at sin? Thou art one of the fools in Israel, and God this day casts
shame in thy face; thou hast shame cast in thy face even by the Almighty this day out of his Word.
Certainly Brethren, if we understand what the evil of sin is, when we are in any company, where men and women be never so merry; if there were but one wilful sin committed among them, any one apparent sin, it were enough to damp all the joy that day; and indeed it should be so.
We read of David when he carried the Ark, a gracious work, and there was but one sin committed, in touching the Ark unadvisedly, and it damped all the joy. And certainly, it was the sin from which there was more cause of damping the joy, than from the punishment; for there was more evil in the sin, than in the punishment.
Now you shall have many men and women in merry meetings, and Company, they be merry, and eat, and drink, and laugh: well, but abundance of sin is committed in the Company, but not one whit dampt all that day; but can go on in their mirth, and tales, and laughing; go on as freely and fully, as if there were no sin committed. Be it known to you this day from the Lord, any of you that have been in any Company, merry and jolly, and yet sin has been committed before your eyes, and you have heard it with your ears, if it have not dampt your joy and mirth; know your hearts be not right with God; and it is a sign your hearts have been vile, cursed hearts, that when you have seen sin committed in your company, yet you can go on with joy.
Suppose in your company, in the midst of your mirth, one takes a knife and stabs himself into the heart; would not this damp your joy? would you goon in your mirth still? would not all your joy be gone? when you be in company and hear one swear, if you had eyes you would see them even stab them selves to the heart: and there is more Evil in this, than in the other; and yet you can go on in your joy and mirth, though since you sate down there has been forty
oaths sworn there. We read in the 2 Sam. 13. 29. at the feast of David's Sons, Abalom's inviting of Amnon to dinner, Absalom bids his servants, when Amnon was merry, to strike him to the wall; and they did so: and then every one of the King's Sons gat up, and all their mirth was done, though they were very merry before. So if your hearts be right when you are in company, and hear one swear, or blaspheme God's Name, or speak against Religion, it would be as much as if one were stab'd in the room, all the mirth of that day would be gone if your hearts were right.
And do not think this too strict, that sin committed by others should damp your joy: Certainly, the thing is most reasonable, and apparent as possibly can be, to convince any mans conscience, that understands what the Evil of sin means: and yet many of you have not only continued your joy, but have been joyful and jocund, the rather because sin is committed in the company.
As suppose one make a jest upon Religion, and scorn Profession, you laugh with them, and make merry with them. When one makes a lie upon Religion, you can laugh and be merry: Oh certainly, if you have any conscience at all, you cannot but be this day convinced of horrible sin against God.
Suppose thou wet in merry company, and thou shouldest hear of a certain, that tidings is come, that thy Ship is cast away, and that thou hast lost all that ever thou didst venture in that Ship, wouldest not thou give over wouldst thou go on? wouldst not thou say it is time for me to be gone now? and dost thou not account more the hazard of thy own soul? and the soul of thy brother? than of thy
Goods? Certainly, thy heart cannot be right with God.
Oh! take heed than in your merry meetings; we do not deny but men and women may be joyful, and eat, and drink together, and delight themselves in the creature, but it must be so, that it must be without apparent sin: I know there will be natural infirmities in any action; but I speak of open and apparent wickedness.
Joy must not be when there is apparent wickedness. You think godly people are not for Society and good-fellowship; indeed you cannot expect they should be joyful and merry, but that they should rather be melancholy and heavy, and sad in your company, when they see so many sins committed there.
What would you have them merry when they see the company imbrue their hands in their fathers bloods? would you have the Son merry, when the company imbrue their hands in his Fathers blood?
Certainly every godly man or woman, when they come in company, and see so many sins committed, they do actually and really see you stab and imbrue your hands in God's blood: when you rejoice in the Lord, they can be as merry and joyful as any of you all: and have sweet comfort in your company; but not when sin is there committed.
Many of you when you have been in merry company, when you are gone, you can report, Oh we were to day in such a place, and we had such merry company, it would do ones heart good to be among them; we were so merry and jocund, we had a brave time. Well, but was there no apparent wickedness committed in your company? never an oath sworn? no excess in the creature in drinking? no ribaldry talking? you never think of that, as if that were nothing at all, it did not abate the least of thy joy: Certainly thy heart is not right, thou knowst not what sin means, thou must know it after another manner.
One Particular more, because tis useful, and these merry times are most pleasing among the younger people, when they come abroad in company, they will make a sport of sin, and think nothing of it. I will apply one text of Scripture to that sport of young men, when they seek to make one another drunk, or swear, and speak wickedly, and rejoice in it: 'tis just like that sport, 2 Sam. 14. Abner said to Joab, Let the young men arise and play before us: and observe what play this was; then there arose and went over twelve men of Benjamin, which pertained to Ishbosheth the Son of Saul, and