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Arguments are these;
1. EVery man is, and every man do's, in Gospel account; that which he is most active in; but a Spouse of Christ is most active in good, least of all active in evill, therefore said not to sinne. David had many failings, yet was he most in the practice of good, and least in the practice of evill; his heart, as well as hand, was more in the wayes
of grace, than in those of sin; for hee sinned onely by accident, if I mistake not; minde that most sin∣gular Encomium that's given him; hee was a man after Gods own heart; hee did that which was right in the sight of the Lord, all the dayes of his life, and turned not aside from any thing the Lord commanded him, save onely in the matter of Uriah the Hit∣tite. There's but one sin mentio∣ned, and that one is not, because pardoned; hee was eyed, deemed, and prized according unto that he was most active in; so that in the account of mercy he had no spot in him: a gracious heart is active, most active in good, but passive, most passive in evill; hee suffers, when hee sins, then most of all; e∣vills of suffering pinch him not so much, as evills of sinning▪ the one being but as a scar in the flesh, the other a wound in the heart, for such soules are most wounded in Christs wounds; as the loyall wife is most wounded in the wounds of
her husband. Let complaints of Saints come forth, and they'l give evidence to this truth; many are judgement-sad, but few sin-sad; Christs spouse is one of those few, sinne is more her burthen then is suffering, shees a sensible sin-sick soule. On the contrary, a grace∣lesse heart is passive, most passive, onely in good; suffers most, whilst it do's well, and esteems it not so much peace, as perplexity to walke with God, is active in goodnesse by accident, most active in evill, therefore a sinner, no Saint by na∣ture or name, as Christ wills for one. Christians, consider, tis not your starting into duties, your ex∣act performance of them, or your fastening on goodnesse onely by fits, that addes a beautie, a comeli∣nesse to you, but tis that the hearts most in, that the hands most in, that your strength, all your strēgth is laid out upon, which shews what you are, in Gospel account: mark, O man, the bent of thy minde, the▪
might of thy motions, thy con∣stancy of continuation in the ser∣vice of Christ, that thou mayst be all fair, spotlesse by imputation.
1 Kings 15.5.