Sincerity, or, The upright mans walk to heaven in two parts shewing I. that sincerity is the true way to happiness, II. that the keeping of our selves from our own iniquity is the true way to sincerity / delivered in several sermons in the parish church of St. Michael in Long-Stratton Norfolk by James Oldfield, late minister there.

3. Why we should above all things keep our selves from our own sins.

David in the Text tells us, that he kept himself from his Iniquity 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 the word (as I shewed you in the beginning) signifieth to prevent a danger that is like∣ly to fall on us, there is a Noun comes from this Verb, which signifieth a Watch∣tower, as sentinels in a Garrison that stand in the Watch-tower, espy the Enemy afar off coming to them before he seizes upon them, and so prevents his design, so Da∣vid though he fell into other sins, and was surprized as it were by other sins, yet this sin which he calls his own sin, he had a

special eye unto, was always upon his guard, his Watch-Tower to prevent it; certainly there was something in it, Da∣vid saw good reason for it, that made him more carefull of this sin than of all o∣thers.

Now I will shew you some Reasons, why we ought to be so careful against our own Iniquities.

1. Because we love it so much, this sin is the Souls darling, the Souls beloved, look into your hearts and search them well, and you shall find a sin there, that you love better than God, or Christ, or Heaven, or your Souls. It is said of Ahab, that he sold himself to do wickedly, oh this was an high prized sin, what sell himself for a sin? and are there not many Ahabs among us, that will sell themselves for some sin or other: A mans self is the highest price that he can set upon any sin, that which we love best we prize most, be it an horse, or a dog, I will not take an Hundred Pound for it: But for a man to sell his Soul to the Devil, nay Soul and Body to Hell to be tormented in the Fiery Lake of Brim∣stone Eternally for a Sin, you will say that man pays dear enough for it. O Friends,

here you see the force of the Reason, keep your selves from this sin, your love and affections from it, because this is the sin that will take up all your love, will take off your heart from God and Christ and your Salvation. A man while he is suit∣ing, and hath deeply set his love upon a Woman, will neglect all his other busi∣ness that he may gain her for a Wife; is it so with you in reference to any sin? Bre∣thren I desire to deal plainly and faithfully with your Souls and mine own, have a care of that sin, have a care of loving of it, least you hate your Souls and hate God and Christ. I will explain this by a compari∣son, this sin is like Absalom, Absalom you know was Davids beloved Son, and Absa∣lom strives to take away Davids Kingdom and also his Life, well for all this David loves him still, and was too fond over him for all this, and was loath to part with him, and when he was killed, see how he mourns for him in the 2 Sam. 18. 33. so here this sin is your Absalom, the sin you are so fond off, the sin you love so well, and do you not know that this sin will take from you, like Absalom, the Kingdom of Heaven, and the life of your Souls, and yet all this will

not take off your love from it, as David said of Absalom, would to God I had dyed for thee, so you are willing to dye Eternal∣ly and go to Hell, rather than part with it. O Friends, if you love your Souls, have a care of that sin which you love most, and keep yonr selves from it.

2. Because this sin hath the more power over us, and can do with us what it pleas∣eth. If a man love his Wife too much he makes her his Mistress, so if a man love any one sin too much, he makes that sin his Mistress, the Queen regent of the Soul; and when it comes once to this he cannot leave that sin, no if he would give a World; all the Sermons in the World can do such a man no good; you hear a good Sermon, telling you, if you desire to be saved you must do so and so, oh, but first of all you must ask leave of this sin, whether you may do it or no, if this sin forbid you to Pray, you must not Pray, nay when a man is at Prayers and would confess such and such miscarriages of his life, this sin, this Master sin, often forbids him so much as to name them. This sin will not let a man repent, nor turn to Christ, like Dalilah it binds the strongest

Sampson, and keeps many a great professor from turning a true real Christian mark, the Apostles exhortation in the 6th of the Rom. 12. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. O let not sin be King in your Souls; O therefore have a care of this sin, it will be aut Caesar, aut nullus; if you let it alone to get the upper hand of you, you will hardly ever get rid of it. Methinks the Apostle in that 6th of the Rom. 12. alludes to a forreigner that hath got to a Kingdom; he displaceth all the native Inhabitants from all places of ho∣nour and trust, brings in his own Coun∣trymen, makes them Lords and Govern∣ors of the Land, so if sin comes to be King in the Soul, down goes every good thought, every good word, all goodness in that Soul, sin sets up new lusts and corruptions to reign and command there; so the Apo∣stle, if sin be King you must look then to obey all its lusts.

3. If we can but keep our selves from this sin, we shall with ease keep our selves from all other sins, 1 Sam. 17. 51. So here, kill but this Goliah and you may easily con∣quer all the multitude of other sins; and therefore the best way to endeavour to convert a man, is to mark what is his

own sin, his own Iniquity; kill that and you may save his Soul alive, shew him but the evil of this sin, and he will never like sin any more. And therefore Junius and Tremellius render the words of the Text thus, caveo mihi ne quid inique agam; tho they be not an exact Translation according to the Original, yet may serve for a good comment upon the Text; he that keeps himself from this sin, will keep himself from all sins; when Christ converted Paul he begins with his great sin, shews him the evil of that; Paul tells us what his great sin was in the 1 of the Cor. 15. 9. And every where Paul bemoans himself for this sin, this was the sin that Paul was most proud off, and was never well, but when he was committing and acting of it, 8. Acts 3. 9. Acts 1. Well Christ, he begins with this sin, 9. Acts 4, 5. Assoon as Paul saw the evil of this sin, he pre∣sently forsook every sin. Brethren, I know this if Ministers would deal faith∣fully with you, they must tell you of your own sins, but then you will fly in their faces, this is no pleasing Doctrin; we may Preach before a company of Drunkards a∣gainst Covetousness, against Deceit, a∣gainst

Fornication, against Bribery and In∣justice, why all is well, but if we come to speak against Drunkenness, there we drive the nail to the quick, it will not be endured: O but Friends if you love your Souls, be willing to hear the evil of your own sins as well as other mens sins, till you leave this you will leave none, if you can but keep your selves from this, you may keep your selves from all others.

4. Because this sin stands most in com∣petition with Christ for the heart. Other sins will be content with a mean enter∣tainment, but this sin must have the best, this sin must be served before Christ; look upon a man whose sin is Covetousness, a∣ny little thing as a cold morning will keep him from a Sermon, but rain, snow or blow, he will to the Market, Covetous∣ness, that must be served or else he is sick, though Christ he thinks may be content∣ed with once a moneth. O Friends, do not you cry out upon the Jews, and be worse than the Jews your selves, 18. John 39, 40. do you not deal worse with Christ for a lust, or you that can part with Christ for a pleasure; do you think that sin de∣serves your hearts better than Christ, why

then can you not be perswaded to leave sin and follow Christ, but you chuse to follow your sins and leave Christ; every one that loves this sin, cries up Barabbas and denies Christ, you bid Christ be gon, as the Jews, away with this Fellow. As the Jews could not save Christ and Barab∣bas both together, so neither can we keep this sin and Christ both in one heart; all that entertain this sin, shut Christ out of their hearts.

5. Because this sin continually besets us, 'tis the sin as I told you, that lies down with you, that riseth up with you, that keeps at home with you, that goes abroad with you; as the Covetous man is Cove∣tous at all times and in all places, even when he is at Church, then his heart is set on his Covetousness, a Drunkard is so at all times, thinking of it at Church, and continuing it a bed. Now if it be so, we had need be the more careful of it: A man that is subject upon the taking of any little cold to get an ague, had need always to keep himself very warm: In dangerous times when men lye at the catch for any word, a man had need consider well be∣fore he speak: O Brethren, sin is the great∣est

trapanner in all the World, it lies at the catch continually to deceive our Souls, oh we had need be careful and watchful over our Souls, a man may be undone by sin before he is aware of it; and therefore the Apostle upon this account gives us a special charge against this sin and calls it 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 the sin which doth so easily beset us, 12. Heb. 1.

6. This one sin will damn thy Soul as well as Thousands, though we should leave all other sins but this, yet this will carry us to Hell. We do not read of Ju∣das that ever he was guilty of any sin but one, and that was Covetousness, it was his Master sin, and yet that one sin brought both Hell into his Soul, and also carried his Soul to Hell. O how happy might Judas have been, had he but kept himself from this his own Iniquity. Friends do not de∣ceive your Souls, you have but a few days to live before you shall go either to Heaven or Hell, do not boast that you are not Drunkards, or Swearers, or Lyers, &c. as others, if there be but one sin that you love, it will make God to hate you for e∣ver; cries the Pharisee: in the 18th of Luke 11, 12. God I thank thee, that I am not

as other men are, Extortioners, Unjust, Adulterers, &c. O, but this Pharisee had a sin for all this, that would carry him to Hell. A Prisoner that is Arraigned for murder, may plead that he never cut a purse, broke open an house, robbed on the High way, committed Treason against his Prince, but all this will not serve his turn, Murder will hang him. O think of this, and this one sin will bring you to Torments enough, 2 James 10, 11, 12. A seventh Reason we have in this very Psal. and 'tis this, when afflictions and tribu∣lations come upon us, this will be our great comfort, that we have kept our selves from our own Iniquities. David tells us his own experience in this Psalm, that God was with him to stand by him in all his troubles, because he kept himself from his Iniquity, read but v. 16, 17, 18, 19, 20. and the Reason in the 21, 22, and 23. verses. Beloved, would you have God to stand by you in all your troubles, then cast away your sin, 55. Psal. 22. a man under afflictions that hath this sin a∣bout him, is like a man cast into the Sea with a Milstone about his neck, he is sure to sink to the bottom; sin venom's the

wound of every affliction. O Brethren, cast out this sin, that God may not cast you off in the day of your adversity, Sum∣mer will not always last, Winter must come, and what will you do if God will not own you; let me tell you further, when under afflictions you would be wil∣ling to be rid of this sin, but then you shall not; as you have kept it in spight of God, it shall then be always with you to tor∣ment you. O think upon it, before God lays troubles and afflictions upon you, you cannot but expect them, for your sins have deserved them, therefore I say think upon it before hand which you will chuse, God to be your comforter in your miseries, or keep this sin to add sorrows to all your afflictions, 5. Lam. 15, 16. the joy of our heart is ceased, our dance is turned into mourning, the Crown is fallen from our head, wo unto us that we have sinned: But every true Saint may rejoyce with Da∣vid under his afflictions, I have kept my self from my sin, and now will my God keep me under all my sorrows.

8. The last Reason is in the Text. This is the surest testimony of our Sincerity and Uprightness before God, read the Text,

and the 22th of Gen. 12. So may God say to us, now I know that you love me, see∣ing for my sake you have parted with your most beloved sin. This is the only pleas∣ing and delightful sacrifice to God, 1 Cor. 13. 1, 2, 3. all without love to God is no∣thing; and sure that man loves God but a little, that will not part with one sin for his sake. God shewed his love to us in giving us his own Son, O let us shew our love to God in parting with our own sin: In a word, here is totum Legis & Evange∣lii the summ and compendium of Christi∣anity, to keep your selves from your own Iniquities. Unless you do this, you may as good do nothing at all; you can never say that you have kept Gods Command∣ments, as long as you keep this sin in your hearts and bosoms. Nay, this sin will make all that you do sinful and odious in the sight of God; you may pray your selves dumb, kneel your selves lame, read your selves blind, hear Sermons till you be deaf, give alms so long till you be poor, and yet all is nothing in the sight of God, while you keep this Iniquity in your hearts; you may be great professors, and yet if you have this sin, you must to Hell

for all that. Brethren, deceive not your selves, 'tis not the hating of Ceremonies in the Church, but the hating this sin in your hearts, that will be acceptable in the sight of God. Hell is the place that God hath prepared on purpose for Hypocrites, and all those (be they what they will of this or that opinion of this or that Sect, Conformists or Nonconformists) that have not kept themselves from their own Ini∣quities, this great sin are but Hypocrites in the sight of God.