CHAP. 62. Use 12. If there be so much Evil in sin, then it is of great concernment to be Religious b
be filled withal, as soon as you come to close with God in this mystery of the Gospel. Perhaps it is not so apparent to every soul; but wait a while, and there will more of the evil of sin be discovered in this, than in any way.
Use XI. And then the Use that I shall make of it is this, If there be such evil in sin, then bless, bless God for Christ; Blessed is that man and woman whose sin is pardoned, Psalm 32. Oh blessed is he whose sin is forgiven. Certainly it is a blessed thing, that sin should be forgiven; this requires a whole Sermon by it self: I shall but name it now, because I shall (it may be) hereafter speak of this particularly, of the great Blessedness of the Pardon of sin, only take notice of it; any that has a comfortable assurance of their sin being pardoned, go away rejoicing, Son, Daughter, rejoice, your sins are pardoned▪ there is enough in that word to bring comfort and joy to your souls.
CHAP. LXII.
Use 12. If there be so much evil in sin, then it is of great concernment to be Religious betimes, and there by prevent much sin.
Use XII. Again; One Use more. If there be such evil in sin, Then it is of great use to begin to be godly and Religious betimes, for young ones to come to be godly betimes: why? Because they may come to prevent so much evil and so much sin. Oh happy those that begin to be godly when young; you prevent a thousand sins, that others commit by their not knowing sin betimes. True, if there were no other use of godliness, than merely to bring you to Heaven, then you might stay till your sick and death beds, and then be Religious, it were enough: but besides bringing you to Heaven, there is use of
Godliness to keep you away from sin and Ungodliness; and there is enough in that to countervail any pleasure.
Suppose you young people abstain from some pleasure, or joy that others have; the truth is, you have greater and better pleasures; but suppose you had none but keeping of your souls from sin, this merely were enough to countervail whatsoever you suffer in the ways of God.
There are many converted when they were old, and what would these give for to be delivered from the guilt of some sins committed when they were young? When they look back to their lives, Oh this sin I committed in such a family, and when I was an apprentice in such a place; Oh that I were delivered from them! Oh they lie upon my heart! Oh that vanity and wickedness! Oh those oaths I swore in such a company, among young men! Oh those Sabbaths I brake! Oh those lies I told, and the drunkenness I was drawn to! Oh I cannot look back to these, but my thinks I could even tear my heart from my belly, to think what a heart I had, to sin against God, and multiply sin against Him.
Thus at the best, when God awakens their hearts, they would give ten thousand worlds to be delivered from the sins of their Youth:
And therefore now, you young ones, seeing there is such evil in sin, Oh prevent it: You know how the sins of Youth lay upon David, remember not against me the sins of my youth; therefore now prevent those sins that otherwise will lie so heavily upon you, as that you will be forced to cry out, Oh remember not against me, the sins of my youth.
Oh it is a happy thing to see young ones good; and it is the greatest hope that God will shew mercy to England, in that God begins to draw young ones on in the ways of Godliness, so that we hope there will not be so many sins committed in the age to come. We have cried out of the sins of young ones; and one Generation that has followed another, has been but like the Kennel, the lower and