8. ]\Ien's own guilt stops their mouths and silences them. They are ashamed and afraid to reprove other men's sins, lest they should hear of theu' own. Fear or retortion keeps them from the duty of reprehension. Thus we fall into a new sin for fear of reviving an old one. '* He that reproveth a scorner getteth himself shame ; " and he that rebuketh a wicked man getteth himself a blot," Prov. ix. 7.
But this is the fruit of our pride and ignorance. What we fear might turn to our benefit. The reproof given is duty discharged ; and the retortion in return, a fresh call to repentance for sin past, and a caution agamst sin to come.
Instance 5. Another instance of convictions of unrighteousness imprisoned in men's souls, is not distributing to the necessities of others, especially such as fear God when it is in the power of our hands to do it, and conscience as well as scripture calls us to our duty.
Men cannot be ignorant of that text, Matth. xxv. 40, 41. wheue, by a Synecdoche^ charity to the saints is by Christ put for the whole of obedience ; and men's eternal states are cast according to their observance of this command; though I fear few, very few study and believe it as they ought. Thou canst, saith conscience, if thou
AN APPENDIX TO ENGLAND'S DUTY. SSt
t\llt relieve sUch or sucli a poor Christian, and thcreiii express thy love to Christ, yea, refresli tlie bowels of Christ ; do it, God will repay it : if thou refiisest, " how dwelleth the love of God in thee ?" 1 John iii. 17. This is the voice of God and conscience, but divers lusts are ready to lay hold on, and bind this conviction also as soon as it stirs, viz.
1. The excessive love of earthly things. The world is got so deep in men^s hearts, that they will rather part with their peace, yea, and with their souls too, than part with it. Hence come those churlish answers, hke that of Nabal, 1 Sam. xxv. 11. " Shall I take my " bread, and my water, and my flesh, and give it to men whom I *' know not whence they be ?'^
2. Unbelief, which denies to give honour and due credit to Christ's bills of exchange drawn upon them in scripture^ and pre- sented to them by the hands of poor saints. They refuse, I say, to credit them, though conscience protest against them for their non- comphance. Christ saith, Mark ix. 41. " Whosoever shall give " you a cup of cold water to drink in my name, because ye belong " to Christ, verily I say unto you, he shall not lose his reward."^ He shall gain that which he cannot lose, by parting with that which he cannot keep.
S. The want of love to Jesus Clirist. Did we love Christ in sincerity, and were that love so fervent as it ought to be, it would make thee more ready to lay down thy neck for Christ, than thou now art to lay down a shilling for him, 1 John iii. 16. It is our duty, in some cases, to spend our blood for the saints. So it Avas in the primitive times : behold (said the Christians enemies) how they love one another, and are willing to die one for another. But that spirit is almost extinguished in these degenerate days.
Instance 6. How many stand convinced, by their own consciences, what a sin it is to spend their precious time so idly and vainly as they do ? When a day is lost in vanity, duties neglected, no good done or received ; at night conscience reckons with them for it, and asks them what account they can give of that day to God, how they are able to satisfy themselves to lie down and sleep under so much guilt ? And yet when the morrow comes, the vanity of their hearts carries them on in the same course again the next day ; and whilst they keep themselves in vain company, they are quiet, till conscience finds them at leisure to debate it again with them. Now the things which master these convictions are,
1. In some men their ignorance and insensibihty of the precious- ness of time. They know it is their sin to spend their time so Vainly, but little consider that eternity itself hangs upon this little moment of time : and that the great work of their salvation will jre^uire all the time they have; and if it be not finished in
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this small allotment of time it can never be finished, Jolin ix. 4.
2. The examples of other vain persons that are as prodigal of their precious time as themselves, and entice them to spend it as they do.
3. The charming power of sensual lusts and pleasures. O how pleasantly doth time slide away in plays, ale-houses, in relating or hearing taking stones, news, &c.
4. Inconsiderateness of the sharp and teiTible rebukes of con- science for this on a death-bed, or the terrors of the Lord in the day of judgment.
In all these instances you see how common this dreadful evil of holding tlie truth in unrighteousness is ; yet these ai'e but a few selected from among many.
Fifthly^ In the next place I am obliged to shew, how and why the imprisoning of convictions, or holding the truths of God in un- righteousness so dreadfully incenseth his wrath. And this it doth upon several accounts.
1. Knowledge and conviction of sin is an excellent mean, or choice help to preserve men from falling into sin : There be thou- sands of sins committed in the world, which had never been com- mitted if men had known them to be sins before they committed them. Every sinner durst not make so bold with his conscience as you have done. The apostle tells us the reason why the princes of this world crucified the Lord of glory, was, because they knew him not, 1 Cor. ii. 8. had they known him they would not have dared to do as they did. And so it is in multitudes of lower and lesser sins than that, Satan blinds their eyes with ignorance, then uses their hands and tongues in wickedness ; he is the I'uler of the darkness of this world, Eph. vi. 12. But when men do know this or that to be sin, and yet venture on it, then an excellent antidote against sin is turned into a dreadful aggravation of sin, which highly incenses the wrath of God.
2. Knowledge and conviction going before add presumption to the sin that follows after it ; and presumptuous sin is the most provoking and daring sin ; from this way of sinning David earnestly beseeches God to keep him, " Keep back thy servant (saith he) from pre- " sumptuous sins." When a man sees sin, and yet adventures on it, in such sinning there is a despising of the law of God : a man may break the law whilst he approves, reverences, and honours it in his heart, Rom. vii. 12, 13. but here the commandment is despised, as God told David, 2 Sam. xii. 9. It is as if a man shall say, I see the command of God armed w ith threatening^ in my way, but yet I will go on for all that.
8. Knowledge and conviction leave the conscience of a sinner
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