A92846:115
The anatomy of secret sins, presumptuous sins, sins in dominion, & uprightness. Wherein divers…
The anatomy of secret sins, presumptuous sins, sins in dominion, & uprightness. Wherein divers weighty cases are resolved in relation to all those particulars: delivered in divers sermons preached at Mildreds in Bread-street London, on Psalm 19. 12, 13. Together with the remissibleness of all sin, and the irremissibleness of the sin against the Holy Ghost preached before an honourable auditory. By that reverend and faithful minister of the Gospel, Mr. Obadiah Sedgwick, B.D. Perfected by himself, and published by those whom he entrusted with his notes.The anatomy of secret sins, presumptuous sins, sins in dominion, & uprightness. Wherein divers weighty cases are resolved in relation to all those particulars: delivered in divers sermons preached at Mildreds in Bread-street London, on Psalm 19. 12, 13. Together with the remissibleness of all sin, and the irremissibleness of the sin against the Holy Ghost preached before an honourable auditory. By that reverend and faithfull minister of the Gospel, Mr. Obadiah Sedgwick, B.D. Perfected by himself, and published by those whom he intrusted with his notes.
London: printed by T.R. for Adoniram Byfeild, 1660
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.
Positive Trials.
The Positive observations by which you may know that you desire in truth to be cleansed from secret sins, may be these.
1. Consider of what acceptance are secret temptations; there are open and broad temptations which carry some express prejudice unto our names, and there are implicit, and close temptations, which carry a real prejudice to Gods glory, of this latter sort, there are again two kinds: some temptations there are which the ingenuity of a refined nature may perhaps start at as too infinitely gross, to yield unto them; as some kinds of blasphemy, and mockings, and revilings of God, or Christ, or the Gospel, and those hideous excitations to self-murder, or any unnatural villainy: other temptations there are which may find a principle within the soul more intimate and apt to take and receive the impressions, if not opposed by the advertency and purity of a spiritual heart: now assuredly the heart doth desire to be cleansed from secret sins which stirs up it self with all its might against those secret temptations, which deal for sin within the soul, which lighten and quicken natural corruption by representation, or by excitation, or by both: O it is the heavy day of the soul, when it is so inwardly assaulted and buffeted: the heart is so far from yielding, that it is resisting with tears, with prayers; yea, and observe one thing which is this, that the temptation to the sinning is not only resisted, but it is made an occasion to the holy soul, the ⟨p. 25⟩more to labour against the corruption, unto which the temptation would secretly incline: as if Satan should tempt to secret pride; not only not to admit the temptation, but now to go to God and pray more earnestly against a proud imagination, and a proud spirit, yea, to be vehement for an heart more lowly and humble; or if Satan doth tempt to contemplative uncleanness, or secret actings, not only to resist and abhor them, but to pray more earnestly for a Chaste and pure heart, and for chaste and spiritual imaginations and thoughts.