A second volume of discourses or sermons on several scriptures

Secondly, The Request and Petition it self; and that is, that God would keep him, not from Sins of common Frailty, and daily Infirmity, such as no Man's Holiness can exempt him from; but from Sins of Presumption; from daring and ranting Sins, such as one would think, that no Man that hath the least Holiness in him, could ever commit, Keep back thy Servant from presumptuous Sins. In this Petition two Things are evidently implied.

First, That strong propension that there is in the best to the worst Sins. Were it not so, what need David pray for restraining-Grace? Keep back thy Servant. Lord, my Corruptions hurry me with all violence into the greatest Sins; they persuade, they force, they drag, they draw, they thrust forward, and now, now I am going and yielding; but, Lord, with-hold me, put a curb and check upon these violent and head strong Corruptions of mine; keep back, keep me back from presumptuous Sins.

First, That strong propension that there is in the best to the worst Sins. Were it not so, what need David pray for restraining-Grace? Keep back thy Servant. Lord, my Corruptions hurry me with all violence into the greatest Sins; they perswade, they force, they drag, they draw, they thrust forward, and now, now I am going and yielding; but, Lord, with-hold me, put a curb and check upon these violent and head strong Corruptions of mine; keep back, keep me back from presumptuous Sins.

Secondly, It implies that utter impotency that the best lie under to preserve ⟨p. 155⟩themselves from the foulest sins, without the special aid and assistance of divine Grace. My Heart it is not in my own hands; my Ways are not at my own dispose; I cannot stand longer than thou upholdest me; I cannot walk longer than thou leadest me; if thou withdrawest thine everlasting Arms from under me, I shall stumble, and fall, and tumble headlong into fearful Precipices, into vile Impieties, into Hell and Perdition it self; and therefore, Lord, do thou keep me; do thou by thy Omnipotency supply my Impotency; by thy Power keep me from what mine own Weakness will certainly betray me unto; Keep back thy Servant from presumptuous Sins. These two Things are implied and couched in the Petition it self.