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.

8. Another policy of sin to keep posses∣sion, is to tell you of the examples of the Saints, every one of them had their sins, and yet they went to Heaven for all that, and why may not you keep a sin as well as any of them, and yet go to Heaven at last▪ Thus it will tell you of Noah's Drunken∣ness, of Lots Incest, of Josephs Swearing, of Davids Murder and Adultery, of Peters Denial of Christ, &c. O Brethren, this we may call sins Charter, whereby it holds fast possession of many Souls. This very argument hath made many to keep their sins all their lives, and to carry them to their graves with them, only in hope to

find mercy with God, because such and such did notwithstanding their sins.

Now to unhamper this snare, consider,

1. That these Saints, though they did commit those sins, yet we cannot call them their own sins as in the Text, they were not beloved sins, sins that they took delight in, they did not continue in those sins, neither did they give those sins room and possession in their hearts; but now if you keep sin in you, why yours and theirs are not alike.

2. 'Tis as vain a thing for a man to make this an argument to live in sin, because o∣thers viz. the Saints have fallen into a sin now and then, and obtained mercy, as for me to drink a cup of rank poyson, because I have heard of one that hath drunk a cup and it did not kill him; take heed of tempting God, because I have seen men dance on ropes, shall I therefore that have no skill venture to do the like? because I have read, that Jonas saved his life in the Sea in a Whales belly, shall I therefore leap into the Sea, or into a Whales mouth? because God had mercy on some, shall I therefore desperately run into the very jaws of fury and vengeance.

3. Qui sequutus es errantem sequere poe∣nitentem, if we would follow the exam∣ples of the Saints, why then we must cast away sin, we must turn sin out of doors. None of the Saints in all the Bible suffered sin to keep possession, if you would find mercy as they did, follow their Repen∣tance.

4. This is no proper way to hope for mercy at death, by continuing in sin all our lives; if we do not put away sin now we are alive, do you think God will take away sin from us when we are dead, nay rather the contrary, if we suffer sin to live with us, will not God suffer sin to dye with us, 8. John 24. O will not Christ say at the day of Judgment, to such as will not in this life part with sin, and yet cry for mercy then. O, sin and you have been old companions, you have lived a long time together, 'tis pity to part you now, and therefore sin and you shall to Hell together; if we keep sin for our Tenant on Earth, 'tis pity but we should be Tenants to sin in Hell.

5. Consider with what difficulty those Saints got pardon; O they were fain to pray, and cry, and roar, and weep bitter∣ly

before they could be healed; now con∣sider if these so hardly escaped, that did but give sin a nights lodging, or an hours baiting as we may so speak, O how do you think you shall escape, or get pardon, or find mercy at last, that have farmed out your Souls to sin, for the whole term of your lives; read that of the Apostle, and I say no more, 1 Pet. 4. 18. 9. sin hath another policy yet to keep possession, and that is, by keeping the Soul formal in ho∣ly duties, by making the Soul to rest and to trust in those duties, that notwithstand∣ing all their sins, they shall be saved for their good Prayers, and reading the Scri∣ptures, and hearing Sermons, for being Baptized, and because they have received the Sacrament, &c. O Brethren, I am a∣fraid sin doth hit many of us here in this particular; what more common now-a∣days, than Swearers to be Swearers still, and Drunkards to be Drunkards still, and cheaters to cheat and cozen their Neigh∣bours still, &c. every sinner keeps his sin still, and what Brethren, do you keep your sins, and yet hope to be saved? why yes, you do hope to be saved; you hope to be saved by your duties, if you would

but speak it out, this is the Reason; as long as you can but come to Church to hear a Sermon now and then, and to say divine service, and Ministers will but let you come to the Sacrament, you think all is well, you care not for amending your lives, you think not of putting away sin. O Brethren, sinners would very fain go to Heaven with their sins in their hearts, and sin hath found them out a way, as they think by trusting to their holy duties; O saith sin, what needs thou trouble thy self with Repentance, 'tis but sending to the Minister to pray for thee when thou art a dying and all is well. Friends, this is deep policy, of all things be sure you learn this Mystery and take heed of it; sin will hereby deal with you like Herod, mingle your blood with your sacrifices, if all our waters in England should be poysoned, would it not be a sad thing; when People drink of them they must dye, and if they do not drink, they must dye; so Brethren, sin poysons all our duties, if we perform them we must dye, if we do not perform them we must dye too; read 66. Ps. 18. the Prayers and the Duties of the wicked, i. e. such as continue in their sins are an

abomination to God; and hear how it will go with them at the day of Judgment; 13. Luk. 25, 26, 27. and 7. Mat. 22, 23. O learn to repent, to amend, to turn over a new leaf of your lives, else your Duties, your Prayers, Sermons, Sacraments, all will but add to your greater condemnation at last.