A92846:1176
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.
I think, that we do not distinguish always aright, and therefore perplex our hearts, there is a difference twixt Affections in Duties, and Cheerfulness in Duties; as much difference as twixt life and lively-hood, twixt burning and flaming. A brand may be red hot, and burn to purpose, and yet not flame at all: so a man may bring living affections to his services, he may present them, and offer them out of the dearest love to God, and truest respect to his honour, who yet may not feel any such sparkling and flaming enlargements of his spirits in the times of disgrace of such services. Defect ⟨p. 244⟩of affections is one thing; of lively-hood and cheerfulness, that is another thing: If I serve God without any degree of affection, then I am not upright; but I may, and do oft-times serve him without cheerfulness, with much dullness and heaviness resting upon my spirits, and yet may be upright. For uncheerfulness doth not necessarily, and absolutely, and only arise from want of grace; It may entirely depend upon natural causes: A mans natural temper may be sad and melancholic, Note. his body may be sickly, and faint, and crazy. Now as a Musician may play over his Ditty singularly well, though he doth make every note to reel and tremble with infinite quavers, so the Christian may do his services with truest uprightness, though not with that lively cheerfulness, as another perhaps may do.
I think, that we do not distinguish always aright, and therefore perplex our hearts, there is a difference twixt Affections in Duties, and Cheerfulness in Duties; as much difference as twixt life and lively-hood, twixt burning and flaming. A brand may be red hot, and burn to purpose, and yet not flame at all: so a man may bring living affections to his services, he may present them, and offer them out of the dearest love to God, and truest respect to his honour, who yet may not feel any such sparkling and flaming inlargements of his spirits in the times of disgrace of such services. Defect ⟨p. 244⟩of affections is one thing; of lively-hood and cheerfulness, that is another thing: If I serve God without any degree of affection, then I am not upright; but I may, and do oft-times serve him without cheerfulness, with much dulness and heaviness resting upon my spirits, and yet may be upright. For uncheerfulness doth not necessarily, and absolutely, and only arise from want of grace; It may intirely depend upon natural causes: A mans natural temper may be sad and melancholike, Note. his body may be sickly, and faint, and crasie. Now as a Musitian may play over his Ditty singularly well, though he doth make every note to reel and tremble with infinite quavers, so the Christian may do his services with truest uprightness, though not with that lively cheerfulness, as another perhaps may do.