A30567:117
The difference between the spots of the godly and of the wicked preached
The difference between the spots of the godly and of the wicked preached by Mr. Jeremiah Burroughs at Cripple Gate.
London : s.n., 1668
Title page typeset from the transcription.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
Why, the best of all have their sins as well as we: Those that we read of in Scripture, have they not fallen into foul sins: But I beseech you mark, though godly men have their infirmities, yet show me any example that ever there was since the beginning of the World, any one godly man that did plead for his sin upon this account, because another godly man had committed it: O! he doth not commit sin upon such a ground as this is: He will not venture upon the practice of sin, because he sees others are guilty of it as well as himself; Oh no, If God hath dishonour by another, let me take heed how I add to this dishonour, saith a gracious heart.
Why, the best of all have their sins as well as we: Those that we read of in Scripture, have they not fallen into foul sins: But I beseech you mark, though godly men have their infirmities, yet shew me any example that ever there was since the beginning of the World, any one godly man that did plead for his sin upon this account, because another godly man had committed it: O! he doth not commit sin upon such a ground as this is: He will not venture upon the practice of sin, because he sees others are guilty of it as well as himself; Oh no, If God hath dishonour by another, let me take heed how I add to this dishonour, saith a gracious heart.
Fourthly, Another ground is, because their sin is not so bad as the sins of others; mine is not the worst: Come and rebuke them for a sin, why, God grant you never do any worse—Indeed in matters of affliction we may reason from a less to a greater, and take up a less to prevent a greater; but in matters of sin we should never make such comparisons; there is a kind of infiniteness in sin, and the least sin is enough to be my eternal ruin: What's that to me because others do worse? I beseech you consider of it, as we name these things, for I do not stand to enlarge every one: For the truth is, there's never a one of these but might be enlarged into a Sermon, and might ⟨p. 78⟩be a great use to take away these grounds of sin upon which ungodly men do commit their sin.