A62053:343
The sinners last sentence to eternal punishment, for sins of omission
The sinners last sentence to eternal punishment, for sins of omission wherein is discovered, the nature, causes, and cure of those sins / by Geo. Swinnock.
London: printed for Geo. Swinnock, 1675
Title page typeset from the transcription.
Chapter 27: Negative godliness is not enough. Christs impartiality in Judgment.
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.
For men to think to excuse themselves that they do no hurt, wrong neither Man, Woman, or Child, and are not (as the Pharisee said) as the Publicans, who generally were Oppressors, is but a vain foolish thing. The idle Servant might have said, Lord, I did no harm with my Talent, I did not lay it out in Rioting and Drunkenness, or any way to thy dishonour; I only hid it, and did not improve it, Matth. 25. yet this was enough to condemn him. Can we call ground good ground, for bearing no weeds, if it never bring forth good Corn? Or do we count that Servant a good Servant, who doth not wrong his Master in his Estate, by purloining or wasting it, if he live idle all day, and neglect the business his Master appoints him. Believe it, Reader, thou mayst ⟨p. 208⟩not be morally evil to the abomination of men, and yet not spiritually good to the acceptation of God. He keeps no Law of God, who minds only the negative part of it. A life free from enormity is too often accompanied with an heart full of iniquity. And that this negative Holiness is insufficient, will appear if we consider,
1. That the Holy Ghost characterizeth a godly man both negatively and positively. The Scripture tells us, That a true Christian minds both parts of the Law, its commanding part as well as its forbidding part. When the Holy Ghost speaks of Davids goodness, he tells us, That he served the Wills of God in his Generation, not only his forbidding-will, but also his commanding-will, Act. 13.36. When Job is commended as a godly man, he is said to eschew evil, there was his negative Holiness; and to fear God, there was his positive Holiness, Job 1.1. & 8. The Psalmist describes the happy man by his holiness both ways.
1. That the Holy Ghost characterizeth a godly man both negatively and positively. The Scripture tells us, That a true Christan minds both parts of the Law, its commanding part as well as its forbidding part. When the Holy Ghost speaks of Davids goodness, he tells us, That he served the Wills of God in his Generation, not only his forbidding-will, but also his commanding-will,