that sin may appear sin to us, may appear in its own colours, and that by the commandment we may see it to be exceeding sinful a, because it is the transgression of the law b. By every wilful sin we have in effect said, We will not have this man to reign over us c. And who is the Lord, that we should obey his voiced? And thus have we reproached the Lord e, and cast his laws behind our back g. (2.) The foolishness of sin. O God, thou knowest our foolishness, and our sins are not hid from thee h: we were foolish in being disobedienti: and our lusts are foolish and hurtful k. Foolishness was bound up in our hearts when we were children l: for though vain man would be wise, he is born like the wild ass's colt m. Our way hath been our follyn, and in many instances we have done foolishly 0. So foolish have we been and ignorant, and even as beasts before Godp. (3.) The unprofitableness of sin. We have sinned and perverted that which was right, and it profited us not q. What fruit have we now in these things whereof we have cause to be ashamed, seeing the end of those things is death r? And what are we profited, if we should gain the whole world, and lose our own souls s? (4.) The deceitfulness of sin. Sin hath deceived us, and by it slain ust; for our hearts have been hardened through the deceitfulness of a Rom. vii. 13. b 1 John iii. 4. e Num. xv. 30. c Luke xix. 14. Neh. ix. 26. k 1 Tim. vi. 9. n Psal. xlix. 13. Job xxxiii. 27. t Rom. vii. 11. sin a: and we have been drawn away of our own lust, and enticed b. It has promised us liberty, but has made us the servants of corruption; hath promised us that we shall not surely die, and that we shall be as gods c; but it has flattered us, and spread a net for our feet d. The pride of our heart particularly has deceived use. (5.) The offence which by sin we have given to the holy God. By breaking the law we have dishonoured God g, and have provoked the Holy One of Israel to anger most bitterly h. And many a thing that we have done hath displeased the Lord i.. God has been broken by our whorish heart, and our eyes that have gone a whoring after our idols k. We have tempted him, and proved him, and grieved him in the wilderness 1, have rebelled and vexed his Holy Spirit m, and pressed him with our iniquities, as a cart is pressed that is full of sheaves n. We have grieved the Holy Spirit of God, by whom we are sealed to the day of redemption o. (6.) The damage which by sin we have done to our own souls, and the great interests. By our iniquities we have sold ourselves p, and in sinning against thee, we have wronged our own souls q. Our sins have separated between us and God r, and have kept good things from us; and by them our minds and consciences have been defiled s. Our own wickedness hath corrected us, and backslidings have reproved us, and we cannot but know and see, that it is an evil thing, and bitter that we have for a Heb. iii. 13. d Prov. xxix. 5. h Isa. i. 4. Hos. xii. 14. IPsalm xcv. 9, 10. o Eph. iv. 30. r Isa. lix. 2. b James i. 14. i 2 Sam. xi. 27. c 2 Pet. ii. 19. g Rom. ii. 23. Ezek. vi. 9. n Am. ii. 23. q Prov. viii. 36. saken the Lord our God, and that his fear hath not been in us a. O what fools are they that make a mock at sin b! 8. We must aggravate our sins, and take notice of those things which make us more heinous in the sight of God, and more dangerous to ourselves. We bewail before thee all our sins, and all our transgressions in all our sins c. (1.) The more knowledge we have of good and evil, the greater is our sin. We have known our master's will, but have not done it, and therefore deserve to be beaten with many stripes d. We have known the way of the Lord, and the judgments of our God, and yet have altogether broken the yoke, and burst the bonds e. We have known the judgment of God, that they which do such things are worthy of death, and yet have done them, and have had pleasure in them that do them g. We have taught others, and yet have not taught ourselves h; and while we profess to know God, we have in works denied him i. (2.) The greater profession we have made of religion, the greater hath been our sin. We call ourselves of the holy city, and stay ourselves upon the God of Israel, and make mention of his name, but not in truth and in righteousness k. For we have dishonoured that worthy name by which we are called l, and given great occasion to the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme m. We have named the name of Christ, and yet have not departed from iniquity n. a Jer. ii. 19. b Prov. xiv. 9. c Lev. xvi. 21. (3.) The more mercies we have received from God, the greater has been our sin. Thou hast nourished and brought up us as children, but we have rebelled against thee a. We have ill requited thee, O Lord, as foolish people and unwise: thou art our Father that made us, and bought us, and established us, yet our spot has not been the spot of thy children b. We have not rendered again, according to the benefit done unto us c. (4.) The fairer warning we have had from the word ́ of God, and from our own consciences concerning our danger of sin, and danger by sin, the greater is the sin, if we go on in it. We have been often reproved, and yet have hardened our neck d, and have gone on frowardly in the way of our heart e. Thou hast sent to us, saying, O do not this abominable thing which I hate; but we have not hearkened, nor inclined our ear g. The word of God hath been to us precept upon precept, and line upon line h; and though we have beheld our natural faces in the glass, yet we have gone away, and straightway forgot what manner of men we werei. (5.) The greater afflictions we have been under, or sin, the greater is the sin, if we go on in it. Thou hast stricken us, but we have not grieved; we have refused to receive correction, and have made our faces harder than a rockk; and the rod hath not driven the foolishness out of our hearts l. Thou hast chastened us with the rod of men, and with the stripes of the children of men, yet we have not turn a Isa. i. 2. b Deut. xxxii. 5, 6. E c 2 Chron. xxxii. 25. Jer. xliv. 4, 5. ed to him that smiteth us a, nor have we sought the Lord of hosts b. When some have been overthrown as Sodom and Gomorrah were, we have been as brands plucked out of the fire, yet have we not returned unto thee, O Lord c. And when thy hand has been lifted up, we have not seen it d. (6.) The more vows and promises we have made of better obedience, the greater has our sin been. We have not performed the words of the covenant which we made before thee e, but as treacherous dealers, we have dealt treacherously g. Did we not say, we would not transgress h, we would not offend any more i? We did, and yet we have returned with the dog to his vomitk, we have returned to folly after God hath spoken peace l. 9. We must judge and condemn ourselves for our sins, and own ourselves liable to punishment. And now, O our God, what shall we say after this, for we have forsaken thy commandments m? We have sinned, what shall we do unto thee, O thou preserver of mann? We know that the law curseth every one that continues not in all things that are written in the book of the law to do themo; that the wages of every sin is death p; and that for these things' sake, the wrath of God cometh upon the children of disobedience And we are all guilty before Godr: the scripture hath concluded us all under sins; and therefore thou mightest justly be angry with us, till thou hadst consumed us, so that there should be no remnant nor escaping t. a 2 Sam. vii. 14. b Isa. ix. 13. Galatians iii. 22. c Amos iv. 11. |