A92846:721
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.
Of all the signs of a good heart (of a heart that is delivered from sins dominion) this is one of the best and surest. viz. That it hates, and resists and bewails sin when it is only in temptation: when a man hath committed a sin, then the conscience (being made guilty) may alone break and afflict, and this may befall even a wicked man, there is now some other thing besides sin in the filthiness of it to work trouble and grief, viz. The guilt and accusation of it, but when sin is resisted and bewailed in the temptation before it hath got out into actual commission, now the peculiar reason of trouble is the formal vileness of sin because it is so base, and so opposite to •od.
Of all the signes of a good heart (of a heart that is delivered from sins dominion) this is one of the best and surest. viz. That it hates, and resists and bewailes sin when it is only in temptation: when a man hath committed a sin, then the conscience (being made guilty) may alone breake and afflict, and this may befal even a wicked man, there is now some other thing besides sin in the filthinesse of it to worke trouble and griefe, viz. The guilt and accusation of it, but when sin is resisted and bewailed in the temptation before it hath got out into actuall commission, now the peculiar reason of trouble is the formall vilenesse of sin because it is so base, and so opposite to •od.
Secondly, I demand, what doest thou against these sinful 1inclinations: every man hath some weapons or other, and in case of anguish he is apt to draw them, what weapons hast thou in thy hand; and to what end doest thou manage them: Do not many and strong temptations of sin, occasion many and ⟨p. 151⟩strong supplications, the more that sin inclines, the more doth thy heart incline to God by prayer, for more grace to resist, for more strength to subdue: doest thou not by reading, and hearing, and inquiry, labour to find out the manifold helps and victories of a tempted and an assaulted soul? doest thou not keep the precepts of God in thy heart, and the threatenings of God in thy heart, that thou mayest fear to offend him; and the promises of God, which yet hearten thee to withstand? What doth all this demonstrate, but that sin is not in dominion, it is, I confess; thy troublesome enemy, but it is not thy ruling Lord: it is that which doth molest thee, it is not that which doth reign in thee; it is that which would have dominion, but it is not that which hath dominion: it is that which doth assault thy affection, but is not that which hath got thine heart; thou art but in a greater war: Nevertheless thou art not so much as in captivity, though in a strong conflict.