Quest. Whence, then, comes a calm in a cai'nal person ?
A?is. From ignorance and deadness of conscience, or fi'om diversion. As a sick man, when he talks with another man that is his fiiend, his mind is diverted that he feeleth not his sickness all the while, so wicked men, either their consciences are seared, and they go on in sin, or else they have diversions. Great persons are loath to hear, and are usually full of diver- sions from the time they rise till they sleep again. AH diversions busy conscience about other things ; so they keep themselves, that it may not trouble them. But the peace of a true Christian comes fi-om another ground, from sound knowledge of his disease, and from soimd satisfaction, by faith knowing Christ, the Spirit of God seaUng this knowledge to the soul. If peace be thus settled, it is a sign of a sound cure.
Quest. But you will say. How shall I know that my sins are pardoned when I am subject to those sins still ?
Ans. Not to speak of transient actual sins, that are past and pardoned, when we have repented of them ; but of the root of all sin, which is weak- ness and corruption in us, fortified, and, as it were, intrenched by nature, occasions and custom. Of this the question is, How to discern of pardon, the root of sin remaining, and now and then foiling us ? The answer is affirmative. We may have that sin pardoned, which yet occasionally may foil us still. For a man is in the state of health, though he have the dregs of a disease hanging upon him, whereby a man ofttimes hath some little fit of the disease. When nature and physic hath prevailed over the disease, yet after that, there may be grudgings. So when God hath cured the soul by pardon, and hath begun to cm'e in sanctification, the cm-e is ),\Tought, though some dregs remain, because those di'egs are carried away with daily physic, and daUy flying to God, ' Lord, forgive our debts ; Lord, heal us.' Every prayer and renewing of repentance carries some debt away, till death comes, that excellent physician, which once for all perfectly cures both soul and body, bringing both there where both shall have perfection.
Quest. But you will say, Is God's grace weak, that it cannot cany away all dregs of corruption as well as pardon ? Why is pardon in the forgive- ness of sins absolute, when yet God suffers the dregs to remain, so as we BtiU are subject to the disease of sin ?
Ans. God is wise. Let us not quarrel with our physician, for he is wiser than we ourselves. For he makes these relics medicinal to us, as thus : naturally we are prone to secui'ity and spiritual pride, therefore he makes a medicine of our infirmities, to cm-e spiiituai pride and security, and to set us a-work. Therefore the Jebusites, and the residue of that
314 TEE EETUENING BACKSLIDEB. [SeRMON V.
kind, were left uncast out from among Israel, that thereby he might prove Israel, and lest they should be a prey unto wild beasts to devour them, Judges iii. 1. So some remainders of the flesh are left still in the best, that these wild beasts might not prey upon their souls. Spiritual pride, which is a detestable sin, robbing and denying God of his prerogative, and security, the grave of the soul, to cure these two especially, God makes the relics and remainders of sin a medicine unto us.
Quest. Why doth God sutler these infirmities and diseases to remain in us ?
Ans. Diseases are suffered, to put us in mind of infirmities in the root, which we knew not before. For if these should not sometimes break forth into a disease, we would think our natm-e were pure. Therefore God sufiers them to break forth into diseases. "VVho would have thought that Moses had been passionate ? Certainly, himself did not know himself, at the waters of strife, that the seeds of anger should be in the meekest man in the world ! Num. XX. 2. Who would have thought that David, whose heart smote him for cutting off the lap of Saul's garment, 1 Sam. xxiv. 4, that so mild a man should have cruelty in him, and yet after that he committed murder ? Who would have thought that Peter, who made such protestations of love to Christ, that though all men forsook him, yet he would not ; yet after that should deny his Master, and forswear him ? Matt, xxiii. 33, 69, &c. All which was to shew us, that it is useful for us sometimes to have our cor- ruptions break out, to put us in mind what inward wealmesses we have unknown and unsearched in us, and that we may know the depth of our corruption. God's children are gainers by all their infii'mities and weak- nesses, whereby they learn to stand stronger. Here is a main diffierence betwixt the slips of God's children, and the ordinaiy evil courses of others. They gi'ow worse and worse. The oftener they fall into sin, the more they are settled upon their dregs. But God's child hath the remainders of cor- ruption in him, from whence he hath infii'mities, and whence he breaks into diseases. But notmthstanding, corruption is a loser hereby. For the oftener he falls into sin, it is the weaker and weaker. For the more he sees the root of it, the more he hates it, resolves and strives against it, till it be consummated by repentance and sanctifjang grace. Let no man therefore be too much cast down for infirmities, though ofttimes they break out, if thereupon we find a renewed hatred, repentance, and strength against them. For God looks not so much, how much coiTuption there is in us, as how we stand affected to it, and what good there is, whether we be in league with it, and resist it. It is not sin that damns men, but sin with the ill qualities, sin imconfessed, not grieved for, and unresisted, else God hath holy ends in leaving corruption in us, to exercise, try us, and keep us from other sins. Therefore sin is left uncured.