Man ashiv le-Yahoweh, or, A serious enquiry for a suitable return for continued life, in and after a time of great mortality, by a wasting plague (anno 1665) answered in XIII directions / by Tho. Doolitel.

SECTION I. Whether ungodly men do often times wax worse and worse?

SOme wax richer, and some wax better, and all men wax older, and many wax worser. 2 Tim. 3.13. But evil men and seducers wax worse and worse; deceiving and being deceived. To encrease in Riches is not simply evil; to encrease in Grace is surely good. This increase is commanded: 2 Pet. 3.18. But grow in Grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. It is commended, 1 Cor. 1.5. In every thing ye are enriched by him, in all utterance and in all knowledge. It is to be prayed for, Luk. 17.5. Lord encrease our faith. Col. 1.9. For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire you may be filled with the knowledge of his will, in all wis∣dom and spiritual understanding. Vers. 10. That ye may walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitfull in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God. But to encrease in sin, and to grow in wickedness, especially after men have seen Gods displeasure against sin, in a wasting Plague, is an evil to be lamented, if we could, with tears of blood. When instead of ad∣ding grace to grace, 2 Pet. 1.5, 6, 7. they adde sin to sin; to Drunkenness they add Adultery; to Passion Malice, to Malice Revenge. Some men make such progress in sin by little and little, till (as all the little Channels meeting in one place) become a common Sewer of all filthiness,

and impiety; Sinks of sin and nasty dunghils of all uncleanness.

Let me premise these six particulars, and I will pass to the proof of this first thing,

1. That the Nature of man is wonderfully depraved, and in all men (except Christ) e∣qually sinfull. For

First, All men are equally under the guilt of Adams first transgression.

Secondly, All men are equally deprived of Originall righteousnesse.

Thirdly, All men have equally the seeds of all sin in their nature, all naturally prone to all sin, Gen. 6.5. though by reason of the tempera∣ment of the body, some men might be more in∣clined to one sin than to another, yet all sin is seminally and radically in every mans nature, all men by nature are equally tinder the curse of the Law, deserve the wrath of God, and equal∣ly liable to the torments of hell, Ephes. 2.3.

2. That every sin that men commit is of a damning nature, and though some sins in compa∣rison of others might be called little sins, yet in respect of the great God against whom they are committed, no sin is small. Though degrees of sin, and inequality of sinning, have greater de∣grees of torment, and shall have inequality in sufferings, yet eternall death is the wages of the smallest sin. Therefore let no man think, while I speak of the increase of sin, that he is good, be∣cause he is not so bad as others grow to be.

3. That in the world there are severall sizes and degrees of sinners, as in the Church there are

severall sizes and degrees of believers. In the Church there are, Fathers, Young men, Chil∣dren, 1 Joh. 2.13. And Babes, 1 Pet. 2.1. So there are severall sizes of sin∣ners. Some morall men, some openly prophane: some are great swearers and great drun∣k••rds, Ringleaders to sin; the Devils Lievetenants, provoking others to sin, and incouraging them therein. Some are chief a∣mong sinners, Luk. 19.2. Some drink in Iniquity like water. Job 15.16. Some are drawn to sin, and some draw sin to them, and that as with Cart ropes, Isa. 5.18. some commit sin, and tremble at it: and some commit sin and rejoyce at it. Prov. 2.14. some commit sin, and are terrified at it when they have done it: some commit sin and make a mock and sport of sin, when they have done it, Pro. 10.23. & 14.9. some commit sin with great remorse and reluctance, and others commit sin with as great and eager greediness, Eph. 4.18.19. A dreadfull text, Having the understanding dark∣ned, being alienated from the Life of God, through the Ignorance that is in them, because of the blind∣ness of their heart, vers. 19. Who being past feeling, have given themselves over to lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness. These are sinners of a great Magnitude, if you weigh the things spoken of them (1) Having their understandings darkned. The word doth either signify the faculty it selfe, or the ratiocination,

or reasoning of the understanding, and it is true in both respects, their understandings are dark and ignorant, and their reasonings are dark and obscure. (2) Being alienated from the Life of God, i. e. That Life, that God commands and approveth, they are too much acquainted with a sensuall, flesh-pleasing, swinish life: but they are utter strangers to an holy, self-denying, sin-mortifying Life: because of the ignorance that is in them, as a bruit doth not know the life of reason, so sinners are ignorant of the Life of God. (3) Because of the blindness, (more pro∣perly) the hardness of their heart; 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. This word is sometimes rendred blindness, some∣times hardness, because they are conjunct, a blind heart is a hard heart, and a hard heart is a blind heart; it signifieth the thick skin that cover∣eth the palmes of the hands of hard labourers, that they can handle nettles, and in that part of their hand have no feeling of the stingings, as o∣thers are sensible of. There is a thick skin hath over grown the hearts of some sinners, that they are (4) past feeling, unsensible as a stone, who are said to have their consciences feared as with an hot Iron. But though they feel not their sin here, they shall feel the torments due for sin in the life to come. The hideous howlings, and gnashings of teeth amongst the damned, speak plainly that they feel the punishment of sin. (5) Have given themselves over to lasciviousness, sometime sinners are said to sell themselves to work wickedness, as Ahab, 1 King. 21.2••. sometimes are said to give themselves to wicked∣ness,

which denotes their constancy, and com∣placency in working wickedness, as when St. Paul commanded Timothy to give himself to reading, he saith, Give thy self wholly to them, 1 Tim. 4.15. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. Be thou in these things, a mans heart is in those things he is given to, a Schollar that is given to his Book, a drunkard that is given to drinking, when his cup is in his hand, his heart is in the cup. He is in drink is our proverb, when the drink is in him. God and Christ should dwell in their heart, but their heart is in their sin, and sin is in their heart. (6) To work, They work at sin as for gain, when it is the loss of the soul, that will be the issue. Sin indeed is a hard labour, and greatest drudgery: sinners work and damnation will be their wages; they should be working out their salvation; but they are working out their damnation, they are Labouring for hell, and taking pains to undoe themselves; and what is it they are so much imployed in; (7) In un∣cleanness, in the extent and latitude of it, work∣ing all manner of uncleanness, and that (8) with greediness, or with covetousness. Wicked men are as eager after sin, as a covetous man is after a good bargain, they are covetous to com∣mit sin. But Beza, renders it Certatim, con∣tending and striving who may sin most, as if they could not get to damnation soone enough, or sure enough.

4. That the reason why sin doth not rise to its height in all men, is not from themselves but from God. It is God that sets bounds to the Ocean

of mens lusts that they should no more overflow. God in great measure by restraining grace dam∣meth up the fountain of sin, that it sendeth not forth so many streames as in others it doth. Gen. 20.6.—for I also withheld thee from sinning against me, therefore suffered I thee not to touch her. But some God giveth up unto their lusts, Rom. 1.24, 26.

5. That men stand not at a stay, in virtue, or in vice, in holiness, or wickedness: If a man doth not increase in grace, likely he is decrea∣sing, so if a man be not mending he is growing worse; like rotten things every day are worse and worse; more seared, if not softned; more resolved to sin if not reclaimed. Of good it is said, Non progredi est regredi, not to goe for∣ward, is to go backward; of wicked, I say, Non regredi est progredi, not to go backward from sin, is to go forward in sin.

6. That wicked men might seem to mend in one thing, and waxe worse in another, and so they do not leave their wickedness, but only change it, as one that was a prodigall and li∣centious, turns to be niggardly and covetous.

Notes

• Question First.
• Six things premised, for expli∣cation.
• Pe••de•• haec [peccati] dif∣ferentia graduum (1) A respectu personae a qua ad∣mittitur. (2) A g••nere & natura rei, (3) Ah inten∣sione & remissione actus. (4) ratione et modo patrandi. (5) A circumstantiis loci, temporis, &c. Ames ••ed. p. 65.
• 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.
• 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.
• Vitam •• Dei appel∣lat, vitam illam qua deus vivit in suis: quam{que} praecipit & approbat. Beza in loc.
• 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.
• 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, is opera quaestus.
• 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. i. e. quasi aga∣tur de lu∣••••n ita ut ••liu•• alium superare conte••d••t. Beza in loc.