SECT. II.

[ II] *TO keep you from secret sins consider, That secrecy in sinning is no security to the sinner; This is a consequent of the former, because God seeth you in secret, therefore you are not safe, though your sin be secret. You may secure your credit and reputation awhile, by keeping your sin secret from men, but not your happiness and sal∣vation. While your sin is secret you may not be reproached for it by men, but you shall be dam∣ned for it by God, if it be allowed and not sin∣cerely repented of. Many shall be openly damned for secret sins. Read Psal. 64. through∣out.

[ III] *This will be a notable discovery of the sincerity of thy heart, if thou darest not allow thy self in secret sins. An Hypocrites greatest care is conversant about things visible and manifest, viz. His Con∣versation, Profession, or Open transgressions, these are visible.

But the things that are secret and hid from the eyes of men, in those he is careless and negli∣gent. But a true child of God, though he is not careless of his conversation, yet he is espe∣cially mindful of his affections, and of the secret Page  226 frame of his heart, and of the sins that lye lurk∣ing within him.

[ IV] *Consider, God doth not esteem of men by what they seem to be to others, but by what they really are. God doth not judge as man judgeth; Men judge of the heart by the actions of the life but God judgeth of the actions by the heart. Men judge of that which is secret and invisible by that which is open and visible, but God judgeth of that which is open and visible, by that which is secret and in∣visible, Mat. 23.27. Woe unto you Scribes, Pha∣risees, Hypocrites, for ye are like unto whited Se∣pulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead mens bones, and of all unclean∣ness. Ver. 28. Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within are full of Hypocrisie and Iniquity. Luk. 16▪15. And he said unto them, ye are they which justifie your selves before men, but God knoweth your hearts: For that which is highly esteemed amongst men, is abomination in the sight of God. A man might be applauded for that by men, for which he shall be condemned by God. That which might set a m•n high in the estima∣tions of men, might be an abomination unto God.

[ V] *It is hainous Impiety for a man to encourage him∣self to sin because he is in secret. 2 Kings 17.9. And the children of Israel did secretly those things that were not right against the Lord their God.— Page  227 There are many great sins wrapped up in this, As,

• 1. Damnable Infidelity; They believe not God seeth them, Psal. 94.7, 8, 9.
• 2. Desperate Security; They hide God from their eyes, and then think they are safe.
• 3. Deep Stupidity; A degree further than the former.
• 4. Daring Insolency; It is bold presumption to sin before Gods face.

[ VI] *Secret sins do provoke God as well as open sins; God is not like the sinner that hath better thoughts of sin, because it is secret: The open∣ness of sin might add something to the eclipsing of Gods glory, and to Gods dishonour, but it addeth nothing to Gods hatred of sin, because Gods hatred to sin, as sin, is infinite.

[ VII] *Secret sins will grieve the Spirit of God; And causeth him to withhold his influences from thy heart, and to withdraw his presence from thy soul. As,

• 1. Secret sins will cause the Spirit of God to withdraw his witnessing presence, and to suspend his testimony.
• 2. They will cause him to withdraw his com∣forting presence, that thou shalt not have those joyes that thou wast use to find when thou wast more careful to watch against secret sins.
• 3. They will cause him to withdraw his Page  228quickning presence, that thy heart will be left more dead, and more dull, and thy affections will be more flat and cold.
• 4. They will cause him to withdraw his Assi∣sting presence; that thou shalt not be so able to perform duty, to resist temptation, to bear affli∣ction. Thus secret sins will make you great losers by gr•eving and quenching the Spirit of God.

[ VIII] *Secret sins will exceedingly disturb the peace of thy Conscience, They will make great gashes in thy soul; they will wound surely, they will wound s•ely and deeply; They may make thee go with a sorrowful heart unto thy grave; They may cost thee many a groan, and sigh and tear, many a prayer and strong cry to God before thy peace may be restored, and thy Conscience healed, and thy heart bound up. They may be the breaking of thy bones, and thy heart too, that thou mayst think God is thine enemy.

[ IX] *Secret sins will hinder the growth of thy grace; A constant cours• of allowed secret sinning, ar∣gues the Nullity of grace; and secret sins, through carelessness 〈◊〉 by Gods people, will hinder much the encrease of grace. They will be like a frost to the blossom; Like a Worm and Caterpiller to the fruits of the Earth. Secret sins by experience you will find will much hin∣der your,

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• 1. Faith; That you shall not believe so sted∣fastly.
• 2. Desire; You shall not thirst after God and Christ so strongly.
• 3. Love; You will not love God and Christ so Ardently.
• 4. Delight; You will not delight in God so frequently.
• 5. Hope; You will not hope for Heaven so livelily.
• 6. Evidences; You will not lay claim to hea∣ven so confidently.

[ X] *Secret sins will hinder your fervent praying, and will stop the Audience of your prayers. They will exceedingly damp your affections at the throne of grace, and make you sneak in the presence of God, that you cannot have that liberty and con∣fidence in prayer, because Conscience will be in∣terlining thy prayers, and say, Thou prayest against this sin, and yet thou didst not watch against it, but didst knowingly commit it. They will stop thy mouth that thou canst not speak, and they will stop Gods ears, that he will not hear, Psal. 66.18. If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me.

[ XI] *Secret sins will harden thy heart, and make thee more prone to commit open sins. They will strengthen the evil habit of sin, and make thee more incline to visible transgressions, and increase the pro∣pensity Page  230 of thy heart to greater evils. Thus Judas giving way to secret covetousness did ripen the Inclination of his heart more and more to betray his Master.

[ XII] *Secret sins will stop the Communications of Gods secrets to thee; There are some secrets of God, which he doth not communicate to any man in this life, Deut. 29.29. Secret things belong to the Lord our God: but things revealed belong to us, and to our children for ever, that we may do all the words of this Law. But there are some secrets of God that he doth reveal unto his people, and to those that make conscience of secret sins, Prov. 3.32. But his secret is with the righteous. Psal. 25.14. The secret of the Lord is with them that fear him, and he will shew them his Covenant. The Revealed things of the Gospel are secret things to wicked men; the Gospel is hid to them, 2 Cor. 4.4. Regeneration is a secret to them. Faith in Christ is • secret to them. The joyes of the Spirit, and the comforts of the Holy Ghost are things hid∣den from them. But if you dare not allow your self in secret sinning, you shall have many secret Intimations of the love of God unto your soul; many secret illapses of his Spirit into your heart.

[ XIII] *If you make conscience of secret sins you shall have an open reward. What Christ saith concerning secret duties, Mat. 6.6. But thou when thou prayest Page  231 enter into thy Closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret, and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly. This is true also of abstaining from secret sin∣nings, God will reward you openly.

[ XIV] *Be most careful against secret sins because in these thou hast least help, and least assistance from others. If thy sin be visible, thy friend may reprove thee, and he may help to recover thee. If thy sin be visible, thy enemy may reproach thee for it, and that may occasion thy repentance. But if thy sin be secret, thou wilt not have these helps nor occasions of repentance; and therefore where thou art least capable of advantages and helps from others, therein be the greatest friend unto thy self.

Thus if you would walk answerably for Gods hiding of you in the secret of his. Tabernacle in time of danger live not in a course of secret sins; and for your help herein I shall next proceed to the second Question. viz.