CHAP.63. Use 13. If there be so much Evil in sin, then it's a fearful thing for any to be instrument
further it goeth, the more filth it has gathered; and so the lower Generations have gone, the more filthy they have been. But we hope
God intends to turn the course, and to make Godliness as much honored, as it has been dishonored heretofore, and that there should not be so much sin in the next Generation.
Heretofore young people when they had days of Recreation, what did they but multiply sin? what abundance of wickedness was committed by Youth then? and on Shrove-Tuesdays, abundance of wickedness committed by Youth then; and so the Generation was filled with sins of Youth. But now God is pleased to stir up the hearts of young ones, that instead of multiplying of sin, they be got together on such days, to Fast, and to Pray, and make days to attend upon the Word, and so avoid sin: It is that certainly, that does encourage the hearts of God's People to pray to him, and to seek him for mercy, that God gives hearts to young people that they multiply not sin as heretofore.
If there be any here that have begun this, Oh go on in that way, and when others multiply wickedness upon such days, get alone, and attend upon the Word, and recreate your Souls in the Word, and holy conference: true, God gives liberty to recreate, but let it he as it was wont to be with the Companies in London, though they did recreate, they would have their Sermons too. So instead of horrible wickedness that was wont to be upon those days, as I suppose some of you can remember; upon Shrove-Tuesdays infinite wickedness was committed in the city, and thereabouts: we hope instead of wickedness, and joining together in wickedness, there will be joining together in the ways of God: And thus doing, you will encourage us in the ways of God; and Peace and mercy will be upon you.
CHAP. LXIII.
Use 13. If there be so much evil in sin, Then its a fearful thing for any to be instrumental to draw others to sin.
WEE are now to finish that Tractate about the greatness of the evil of sin: It has been an Argument that has much increased in our hands, like unto the bread, the Loaves that Christ did break unto the People, that in the very breaking did multiply; and so has this
Argument done: but we are now to put a period to it.
Many Uses you know has been made already, as Corollaries and Consequences, from that great Doctrine of the evil of sin, that sin is a greater evil than affliction: The last day the especial aim and intention of the Application was, Therefore to drive sinners to Jesus Christ, seeing there is so much evil in sin more than in all affliction: Oh what need have we (who are such great sinners) of Jesus Christ, that is the propitiation for sin? I have only one Note to ad further on that, and we shall proceed.
It is an xxcellent xxpression I find in Luther, said he, there is a great deal of difference between the Consequencia Legis, and Consequencia Evangelii. There is a consequence of the law, and that is this, Thou hast sinned, and therefore thou must be damned: But the Consequence of the Gospel is this, Thou hast sinned, therefore go to Jesus Christ; that is the Argument the Gospel uses from sin.
But passing by all we have said concerning that Use, we proceed to further Applications that are behind. Four or Five Uses we are to speak of, and then we shall have done with the Point: I will be brief upon the first Two or Three, and the Two last we shall stick most upon.
Use XIII. If there be such evil in sin as you have heard, Hence then it is a fearful thing for any one to be instrumental to draw others to sin. All that has been said in the opening of the evil of sin, must needs speak very terribly unto all that ever have been any way
instruments to draw others to sin in all their lives. Now, Oh that God would speak to every man and woman's conscience in this
Congregation, that are conscious to themselves, that ever they have been any cause to draw others to sin: Is there not one whose conscience presently at the naming of this use does even tell you, well, now God speaks to me, for certainly there has been some that I have drawn to sin, that I have been a means to further sin in.
If any one of you have ever been a means, by counsel, or advise, by approbation, by persuasion, by encouragement, by abetting of any, by joining with any in any sinful course to draw them to sin; know, that God speaks to you.
First, God tells you this; That if you had been born to do mischief, you could not do a greater mischief than this is; if you had been the means to undo men and women in their outward Estate, it had been nothing so much; but thou hast what in thee lies, been a means to undo an immortal soul; yea; and to cause them to sin against the infinite God; so that thou art guilty of every sin thou hast been a means to draw others to, and thou art worse than those that have sinned; for thy act in drawing them to it, is a dreadful evil, and then that which they have done is thine too.
Hast not thou sins of thine own enough to answer for before the Lord, but thou must have the sins of another also? Dost thou know what thou hast done, in enticing others to sin? either to uncleanness, drunkenness, to company keeping, and breach of the Sabbath, and other sins: Perhaps thou hast brought them to pilfering and purloining, and many other particulars, and other ways that might he named; for indeed if we should enlarge our selves in this Point, it might well require a whole Treatise, but we must contract our thoughts.
It may be there are some in this congregation, that have been a means to draw others to sin, and they be now in Hell at this instant for that sin thou wert a cause of. What a sad thing is this for any
man or woman, to have this to lay to heart; I know I have drawn such and such to sin, I have been a means (at least) to further sin in them; well, they be dead and gone, and they manifested no repentance before they died, and therefore for ought I know, yea, it is much to be feared that they be now in Hell, and now a tormenting for that very sin I was the cause of, and if the Lord gives me wages according to my works, I must thither to them: What? shall they be in▪ Hell for the sins I brought them to, and shall I escape? is it any way likely and probable, but that I must follow, when as they be there for the sins I brought them to? what shall the Accessory be condemned and executed, and shall not the Principal? I am the Principal, and the other is but the accessory.
Certainly there had need be a mighty work of humiliation, for thou art in exceeding danger that art the cause of bringing any other to sin, for it is that must needs lie exceeding heavy upon the soul of any man and woman; if God never give you a sight of this great evil; certainly you perish: but suppose God do give you the sight of so great an evil, and you begin to be humbled; Oh this very meditation will cause your humiliation to be full of bitterness, and will cause it to be very hard for you to lay hold upon mercy and pardon; when you shall think thus, Ah were it for my own sins only I were to answer for, I might have greater hope; but there be others sins I drew them into, and they be condemned perhaps, and in hell, and how shall I escape condemnation my self?
I do not say that there is an impossibility of pardon, for the Grace of God is infinite; and were it not infinite, it were impossible for such a soul to perish, and thou (that art the cause of it) come to be saved: I say, there is a possibility, but it is as if it were through the fire, if ever thou escape; do but thou consider, if it should be, that thou shouldest die in impenitence also, as the other did, and that thou didest go to Hell, when you two should meet at the day of Judgment, and he should see thee, the cause that drew him to sin,
Oh what a grief it would be to thee, how would he curse thee and
the time that ever he saw thy face? that ever he lived in that family where thou lived?
It may be some Parents have been a means to draw by counsel and advice, the Child to sin; Oh the Child when he sees his Parent at the Day of Judgment; how will he curse the time that ever he came from such loins? and such a woman's womb? Oh that rather he had been the off-spring of a Dragon, and the generation of a viper, than from the loins of such a man and woman; you encouraged me to such and such ways of sin, to opposition, and hatred, and speaking evil against the People of God, the servants of God that were strict in their way; and now you and I must perish eternally.
Surely in Hell they will be ready to cast fire-brands in one another's faces that have been the cause of sin in one another in this world: and so Husband and Wife, that lie in one another's bosoms, if they be the cause of any sin in one another, it may cause woeful terror to them, and appear worse than if a Serpent had lay in their bosom; for those that draw others to sin, do worse mischief than any Serpent or viper in the world can do.
You had need look to it quickly (I shall wind it up with this one Note) Whosoever has been the cause to draw others to commit any sin; know this, That the least that can be required, if God do give thee a sight of thy sin, and to be humbled for it, if thou doest go away out of the presence of God, as having an Arrow darted into thy bosom for this, then I say, go away with this one Note: You be bound to make some restitution in a spiritual way as much as you can.
For this you know (I shewed before) in a mans temporal Estate when you have wronged, you must make restitution; if you will have mercy, you must make up the wrong as you are able: much more here, when you have wronged any in their souls; a Soul wrong calls for Spiritual Restitution, as well as Body wrong, or Estate wrong, calls for a bodily, or Estate Restitution.
Quest. What do you mean (will you say) by this Spiritual Restitution?
Answ. This I mean, That if those be alive that thou hast drawn to sin, thou art bound to this part of Restitution; that is, To go to them and to undo what possibly thou canst what thou hast done; and now to tell them of the evil of that sin, and to do them all the good for their Souls that possibly thou canst: Now to shew to them, how God has convinced thee, and what the work of God has been upon thee, and how heavy and dreadful sin has been made to thee, and to beseech them for the Lords sake, to look to themselves, and to consider of their estates, and to repent of that their sin, that you were the cause to bring them to:
And so, if there be any means in the world whereby thou canst do good unto their Souls, thou art bound to do it; yea, to them, their children, their friends, as you are bound to make restitution unto the next friends and heirs of those that you have wronged in their goods, if the party wronged be dead. So if those should be dead thou hast drawn to sin, suppose when thou wast young, thou drewest such a man to drunkenness, adultery, or the like, and they be dead and gone; thou art bound to do good to the souls of their Children: for know, according to the nature of the wrong, must the restitution be.
One text is observable for this, to shew that according to the nature of the wrong must the restitution be to the utmost that can be, Exod. 22. 5. If a man shall cause a field, or vineyard to be eaten, and shall put in his beast, and shall feed in another mans field: of the best of his own field, and of the best of his own Vineyard shall he make restitution. This is the scope of the Holy Ghost in this text of Scripture, That if any one shall wrong another in his vineyard, or his field, he shall make restitution: (and mark what the text said) not in any slight manner, but of the best of his field, and vineyard,
He must not say, I warrant my Cattle did not do any hurt, but eat a little of the worst, and I will make restitution of the worst;
No, but must make restitution of the best of his field and vineyard: he must not think to get off with a barren piece of ground, but with the best must he make restitution. This shews what a full restitution God will have. So then if a man has wronged his neighbor in his vineyard, tis not enough for him to say, I will make restitution in my barren ground; no, but out of his vineyard must he make restitution; so if he have wronged his neighbor in his field, he must not go and say, I will give a part of the Common, but of the best of his field must he make restitution; so if he have wronged another in his estate; he must give of his estate: and if the wrong be to the soul, the restitution must be to the soul; according to the wrong must be the restitution.
And I beseech you be convinced of this, All the sorrow in the world is not sufficient, without you make restitution; this is so clear out of the word, and even by the light of nature and of conscience, that they may easily convince themselves, whosoever doubts of the thing; nothing in Religion more clear than this is, therefore restitution is required by God of thee, as ever thou wilt expect to find mercy.
This Argument (if God be pleased to set it home) will make many men and women, who when they were young, were ring leaders to wickedness to others, Oh how forward would they be to good now, they would be ring-leaders to good to others now. I pronounce it as in the name of God, you can have no assurance of the truth of Repentance, except there be some endeavor in some degree to be as forward for God, now as thou hast been in the ways of sin before.
If you have been Ring-leaders to the sin of Sabbath breaking, you must be Ring-leaders to draw others to keep the Sabbath; and if you have been Ring-leaders to ungodliness, you must be forward to draw others to godliness.