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this is the poifoned fpring whence all our fin, all our forrow and mifery flows..

2. This flows from the natural depravity of the mind of man that is tranfmitted to us from our progenitors. We are fhapen in iniquity, and in fin did our mothers conceive us. We received a fatal wramp when firft formed in the womb, as the Pfalmift complains, Pfal. li. 5. And indeed there is none can bring a clean thing out of an unclean. Our infected parents transfer to us the infection of fin. Sin runs in a blood, and our natures have a natural inclination to evil, only to evil, and that continually, Gen. vi. 5.

3. This flows from abounding temptations. As our hearts are wicked, and fet only on evil; fo every thing in this prefent diforder on account of fin, is fuited to carry on the infection. The creatures, by reafon of fin, are made subject to vanity. They are made fubfervient to the lufts of men; the devil and our corrupt hearts daily abuse them to this end; and by thefe means it is that all men have finned, and thereby come fhort of the glory of God.

The application is that which we principally defigned in the choice of this subject: and therefore, we have but named things in the doctrinal part: and now we come to improve the whole.

That which we defign chiefly in the improvement of this, is an ufe of conviction. Some days ago we came to you proclaiming the grace, mercy and love of God in Chrift Jefus; now we come to accufe you as guilty of fin. The defign of our doing fo, is indeed the advancement of the glory of Chrift, and in him of the grace and mercy of the Lord God. But our prefent work in itself is fuch as doth not in its own nature look that way, tho'

by

by the infinite wisdom and goodness of God it be made fubfervient thereunto.

You are all here prefent before the Lord, to hear what God the Lord will speak unto you; and as Ehud faid to Eglon king of Moab, fo we fay to you, We have a me Jage from God to you, Judg. iii. 20. A fad meffage, not much unlike to that which Ehud brought to Eglon, a meffage of death. We come this day to you to implead you in God's name as guilty of fin. The message is not to fome, particular grofs offenders, but to every foul now present before the Lord; to the child, to the young man and maid, to thofe of riper years, and to them who are old, and ftoop under the weight of many years.

In the name, and at the inftance of the great, the terrible God, the king, the Lord of hosts, whofe name is dreadful among the heathen, Mal. i. 14. that confirmeth the word of his fervants, and performeth the counfel of his messengers, If xliv. 26. we are to implead, impeach, and accufe every foul here prefent as guilty of fin. Hitherto we have spoken in general, which, it may, be, has been no better to you than Nathan's parable to David. It may be fome of you have been faying, that the foul that has funed has defervedly fallen fhort of the glory of God, and fallen under the wrath of God; but now what we faid before in general, we come to fay in particular to every one of you, as Nathan did to David, Thou art the man, thou art the woman, thou art the child, the young man, or the maid who haft finned, and thereby come fhort of the glory of God.

Now that we may be fuccefsful in this work, and bring you if poffible, to understand your ftate and condition, we shall

1. Read

1. Read and open, as it were, the charge and indictment we do in God's name bring against you. 2. Lead witnesses, whereby we fhall prove it a gainft you all in general.

3. Endeavour particularly by arguments to make our charge good. (1.) Against children and young men. (2.) Against thefe of a middle age. And (3.) against old men and old women. This we fhall do, as it were, by taking you to the places, the companies and occafions where you have finned, and incurred the guilt now charged on you.

4. Shew what fatisfaction our great Lord demands against fuch traitors.

5. What reafon he has to require it. And then, 6. Endeavour to reprefent to you, your misery upon this account.

I. The charge we lay against you, is not fome petty, fome fmall mifdemeanour, that may be atoned for by a bare acknowlegement, by fome pitiful mock, God have mercy upon me. No; the charge draws deep, it is no lefs crime than that of fin, fin against the great Sovereign of the world. Ye all have finned. O if ye knew what a world of evil is in that curfed thing Sin! When we fay, ye have finned, you are ready to fay, O we know that well enough, is this all ye have to fay? When we heard of fuch a dreadful thing as a charge and indictment in the name of God against us, when we heard of leading witneffes, and all the other parts of a trial, we did apprehend there was fome terrible thing a coming, fome dreadful, unheard of evil to be laid home to our door; but now we find there is nothing faid against us but only that we are finners, and who will deny this? Who knows it not? and this is

but

but the common lot. God be merciful to us, we are all finners, and there the repentance of moft is done; their fores are healed, and they can live, and it may be die, without any fear in this cafe: fuch light apprehenfions have moft part of fin.

Thefe, thefe it may be, are the apprehenfions of not a few of you, upon hearing the charge: but if there be not blind minds, fhut eyes, deaf ears and dreadfully hard hearts amongst us; ere all be done, fome of you will, it may be, change your minds, and think this a very dreadful and heavy charge. If God would now concur by his fprrit, and enable us to manage our work to purpofe, if he would let out of the convincing influences of his fpirit, the weight of this charge would prefs you fo, as to make your hearts fail and fink within you.

Sin is an ordinary word, a little word, and moft men do apprehend that there is but little in it; but mistake it not, there is much in it, more than angels or men can ever discover, or fully unfold; yet that all this that we have said may not feem a groundless allegation, I fhall,, 1. fet up to you some glasses, wherein you may get a view of fin's ugly face; or I fhall, as Balak did Balaam, take you to fuch places, where you may get a fight of its formidable nature, power and malignity. 2. I fhall tell you of fome dreadful and monftrous evils that are lodged in every fin, the left idle thought or word. And, 3. I fhall mention fome killing aggravations that your fins are clothed with, that put an accent upon them, and inhance their guilt. And this will let you fee the great evil of fin; this will open your indictment. Firft. We thall give you fome prospects of fin.

It may be many of you do think but very little of fin, but here I defire you to come and look at it,

1. In the glass of God's law. See the holy, the high and exalted God, exhibiting his mind and will in two tables, tables containing fafe, good, holy, juft, fpiritual, and every way advantagious rules, for that creature, whom God has taken fo distinguishing and particular a care of. Well, what fhall we fee of fin here? here, O here, you may fee fin breaking, nay, dashing to pieces these two tables, in a worse fenfe than Mofes did, Exod. xxxii. 19. Every fin, the leaft fin, throws them both to the ground, for as the apoftle James tells us, Whosoever shall keep the whole law and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all, James ii. 10. Is it a fmall thing to you to trample upon, to tread under foot, the holy, the righteous law of God, that is, the perfect image and representation of all his holiness and fpotlefs purity? but if yet ye will not fee the curfed nature of fin, then we bid you, in the

2d Place, Take a view of it in the nature of the great God, the feat of all majefty, glory, beauty and excellency; and if you look at it here, O how ugly will it appear! Nothing in all the world contrary and oppofite to the nature of God, but fin. The meaneft, the most apparently deformed creature in the world, the toad, the crawling infect, carries in its nature nothing really oppofite to the nature of God: fin, only fin ftands in oppofition to him. This he cannot dwell with. Evil fhall not dwell with him, nor finners ftand in his fight. Such is that abhorrence that God has at fin, that when he fpeaks of it, his heart as it were rifes against it, Oh do not that abominable thing, which I hate; in that forecited Jer. xliv. 4. And

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