JEREM. 18. 11.
THese words (you heard) were the second part of Jeremiah’s Commission, the matter whereof is exhortatory, and in that the duty, and the time of the duty have been considered. The third thing in order to be prosecuted, is the subject, with the appropriation of it, Every man from his evill wayes. Besides the common and general sins, wherein all had defiled themselves, there were also peculiar darling and beloved sins, that every one had espoused particularly to themselves: If therefore they would declare their sincere, and unfeigned Conversion unto God, they were to throw away these Dalilah’s to sacrifice these Isaacs, their onely sins, which they loved so much. A man may leave many sins without any trouble, so as it be not that to which he is dearly ingaged.
Obs. That true Conversion will put a man upon the forsaking his dear and beloved sin: He will not as Lot, desire to have a little one spared: So, Lord, I will pray, hear, turn unto thee; onely in this spare me. Some say, that Naaman the Syrian was not truely converted, because he stuck at one beloved sin; for when he proffered his service to the true God, promising to take him for the only Lord, he addeth, Pardon thy Servant in one thing, that when I goe down into the house of Rimmon, and my Master lean on me, I also then bow down, 2 King. 5. 18. They that make him not a true Convert, say, here was hypocrisie. This Office was a place of honour and profit, and so though he would acknowledge the true God in many things; yet this his evill way he would not leave; I will not determine that point of his true Conversion; but certainly this is a very frequent miscarriage in these dayes; Many hear the Word gladly, receive it with some joy, and do many things willingly; but then they are held in one string, there is one dead Fly, and that marreth the Box of oyntment, so that it passeth a Diminitive but on a man, and all his Religion. As in that Naaman we instanced in, it is said he was a great man, and of great authority in the land, but he was a Leper, and that marred all: so it is here, he prayeth, he heareth, he conformeth to many godly things; but there is such a sinne, such a lust, and that undoeth all; and as every man may have his particular sin; so its observed, that Nations have their proper sins. The Jewes in former times were above all sins proue to Idolatrie; therefore its thought God did exercise them in such a bodily way of worship; and so many external and glorious Ceremonies were commanded them; that if possible, they might not desire Idolatrous worship. The Corinthians, their sin was uncleannesse and wantonnesse, therefore the Apostle doth so much presse Arguments against that. The Cretians are branded to be alwayes Lyars; and the Apostle confirmeth this testimony. Thus Nations have their proper sins, as well as particular persons, yea particular Towns and Villages, by one reason or other, are observed to be more prone to some kind of sin then others: But I shall limit my self to particular mens darling corruptions, which is the root to be plucked up, the Fountain to be dryed up; and every Christian should be so far a spirituall Physician to himself, as to be able to know, what is that particular sin to which he is most inclined; for at that breach hell and damnation will enter.
But to make this point naked and open, consider, That Originall sin, though it1 be the seed of all kind of wickednesse, and there cannot be an instance given of any horrid crime in the world, but this would carry a man unto it, yet this poison in every man vents it self in one way, rather than another: Even as in every mans body there is a seed and principle of death; yet in some there is a pronenesse to one kind of disease more than to another; and this may be called that mans proper sin, his evill way. As Philosophy tels us, Though all the individuals of one kind agree in one common specifical nature, yet every one hath a particular difference, whereby it is distinguished from another, which they call Hecciety; so its here, though there be many sins acted in common by all, yet several men have their particular corruptions, which are like the Prince of Devils, that commands all their other sins. Its true, there is no sin committed by any man, but thou hast cause to blesse God, that thou art not as desperately intangled in it, as others. Therefore what the Psalmist speaks of the worst of wicked men, and highest enemies to the Church of God, the Apostle Romans 3. applyeth to everie man. Yet evetie man hath his inclination to one kind of sinne rather than another: and this difference of darlingbeloved sinnes may arise from two grounds, the one internal, the other external.