The wicked mans portion. Or A sermon (preached at the lecture in Boston in…

Answ. 1. When he doth make himself to be more wicked than […]. e. g. When he doth falsely accuse himself to be g•i••y of this or that which he was never actually guilty of. There are such woeful foolish creatures in the world, that glory in their shame, and take a pride in saying that they have committed this or that abomination, which yet it may be they never did commit. It is just with God, that such should die before their Time, and that they should be dealt with, as if they were really guilty thereof; as we see in the Instance of that Amalekite, who accused him self as having an hand in Sauls death. It is a question whether he had so really or no, yet inasmuch as he accused Himself, David condemned him, 2 Sam 1. 16. David said thy blood be upon thy head; for thy mouth hath testified against thee saying, I have slain the Lords anointed. So when any poor creature shall say that he hath out-stood and sinned away the day of Grace, albeit the Holy Spirit is secretly striving with him still, or that he hath sinned against the Holy-Ghost. Or that his sin is greater than the mercy God. As Francis Spira after his Apostasy uttered such a desperate blasphemy as that my sin (said He) is greater than the mercy of God. And thus it was with despairing bloody Cain, he said, mine iniquity is greater than can be forgiven. ⟨p. 7⟩Gen. 4. 13. Austin doth well reply upon him, mentiris Cain, that's a Lye Cain, thy sin is not greater then can be forgiven. ¹Some have observed that Cains Desperation and blasphemy, was a greater evil than his Murder was, when he shed the innocent blood of his own Brother. And indeed despair layeth the Foundation for all excess in wickedness, it maketh men to become no better than devils incarnate; and cau•eth them to dye before their Time, witness Judas who in despair hanged Himself; And have not we in our days known or heard of many rueful instances of that Kind?

Answ. 1. When he doth make himself to be more wicked than 〈…〉. e. g. When he doth falsly accuse himself to be g•iy of this or that which he was never actually guilty of. There are such woful foolish creatures in the world, that glory in their shame, and take a pride in saying that they have committed this or that abomination, which yet it may be they never did commit. It is just with God, that such should dy before their Time, and that they should be dealt with, as if they were really guilty thereof; as we se in the Instance of that Amalekite, who accused him self as having an hand in Sauls death. It is a question whether he had so really or no, yet inasmuch as he accused Himself, David condemned him, 2 Sam 1. 16. David said thy blood be upon thy head; for thy mouth hath testified against thee saying, I have slain the Lords anointed. So when any poor creature shall say that he hath out-stood and sinned away the day of Grace, albeit the Holy Spirit is secretly striving with him still, or that he hath sinned against the Holy-Ghost. Or that his sin is greater than the mercy God. As Francis Spira after his Apotacy uttered such a desperate blasphemy as that my sin (said He) is greater than the mercy of God. And thus it was with despairing bloody Cain, he said, mine iniquity is greater than can be forgiven.