The Nature, Danger, Aggravations, and Cure of Presumptuous Sin
E. Hopkins, D. D. Psalm 19:13 Keep back your servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me: then shall I be upright… I. WHEN IS A MAN GUILTY OF THIS SIN? 1. When sin is committed against the powerful dictates of his own conscience and the clear conviction of the Holy Ghost. 2. When sin is upon long deliberation and forecast, plotting and contriving how it may be accomplished. When the affections are calm and quiet, no hurrying and perturbation of passion to cause the sin. 4. The temptations, and our behaviour under them, will show when the sin is presumptuous. Were but sinners truly apprehensive of their wretched estate, how they stand liable every moment to the stroke of Divine justice, how that there is nothing that interposeth betwixt them and hell but only God's temporary forbearance of them, truly it were utterly impossible to keep them from running up and down the streets like distracted persons crying out with horror of soul, "Oh, I am damned, I am damned"; but their presumption stupefies them, and they are lulled asleep by the devil; and though they live in sin, yet they still dream of salvation; and thus their presumption flatters them, till at length this presumption ends then, where their damnation begins, and never before. II. SOME AGGRAVATING CONSIDERATIONS CONCERNING THESE SINS. 1. They do exceedingly harden and steel the heart to go on in them, making men resolute and secure, or else leaving them desperate They cry out with Cam, My iniquity is greater than can be forgiven. Despair of pardon oftentimes exasperates to more and greater offences. As if a thief, when he is robbing of a man, should argue with himself, "If I am detected of this robbery it will cost me my life; and if I murder him I can but lose my life"; just so do many argue: "My sins are already so many and so great, that I cannot avoid damnation for them; it is but in vain for me to struggle against my own fate and God's decrees. It is too nice a scruple, since God hath given me up to the devil, for me not to give up myself to sin." And so away they go to sin; and sin at random, desperately and resolvedly. Oh, horrid hardness! 2. They brazen the face with most shameless impudency (Isaiah 3:9; Jeremiah 6:15). For they will dare to commit foul sins publicly and knowingly. Others will boast and glory in them, and yet others will boast of wickednesses they never dared to commit. As cowards brag of their exploits in such and such a combat which yet they never durst engage in, so there are a generation in the world who dare not, for the terror of their consciences, commit a sin, that yet will boast that they have committed it; as if it were a generous and honourable thing to be called a daring sinner. 3. What if God should cut off such in the very act of their sin, giving them no space for repentance? 4. How hard it is to bring presumptuous sinners to repentance and reformation. Certainly, they that dare sin when they see hell before them, there is no hope that they will leave sinning till they see hell flaming round about them, and themselves in the midst of it. III. THE BEST CHRISTIANS ARE PRONE TO THEM. This we may learn from — 1. The examples of others. See Noah, David, etc. 2. The pressing exhortations against them in the Bible. 3. The irritating power that the law hath (Romans 7:6). Our corruptions have made us combustible matter, that there is scarce a dart thrown at us in vain; when he tempts us it is but like the casting of fire into tinder, that presently catcheth; our hearts kindle upon the least spark that falls; as a vessel, that is brimful of water, upon the least jog, runs over. Satan hath got a strong party within us, that, as soon as he knocks, opens to him and entertains him. And hence is it that many times small temptations and very petty occasion draw forth great corruptions; as a vessel that is full of new liquor, upon the least vent given, works over into foam and froth; so, truly, our hearts, almost upon every slight and trivial temptation, make that inbred corruption that lodgeth there swell and boil and run over into abundance of scum and filth in our lives and conversations. IV. IT IS GOD'S POWER ONLY THAT CAN PRESERVE THE CHRISTIAN FROM PRESUMPTUOUS SIN. 1. We should have thought that such dreadful sins would be easily kept at arm's length. For such sins generally give notice and warning to prepare for resistance. And natural conscience doth especially abhor and more oppose them. And the fear of shame and infamy in the world often holds men back, as doth often the fear of human laws and penalties. And yet — 2. We still do greatly need this prayer, "Keep back," etc., as Scripture and experience alike attest. But — 3. Some may object, if we have no power to keep from these vices, why doth God complain of us for doing what we cannot help doing, and which He only can preserve us from? But we say that a man has power, as, for example, to rise up if he be seated; no one would deny such power, and yet he cannot exercise it unless God excite and rouse it in him, for "in Him we live and move and have our being." All our powers are latent and sleepy until God rouse them up. V. HOW GOD KEEPS MEN BACK FROM PRESUMPTUOUS SINS. 1. Frequently by a strong hand of Providence upon them, — as(i) shortening the lives of sinners (Psalm 64:6, 7; Ecclesiastes 8:13); or(ii) by cutting short their power (Psalm 76:5; John 7:30; Hosea 2:6); or(iii) by raising up opposition to them, as when Saul would have put Jonathan to death, the people would not let him; or(iv) by diverting men from their purpose (Daniel 11:30), as He did Joseph's brethren from killing him.(v) By removing the object against which they intended it, as Peter from Herod. And there are other ways still. But what woeful estate wicked men are in whom not grace but only Providence restrains. How we should thank God for such providences for others and for ourselves. But — 2. God keeps men back by His grace. And this He does by either restraining or sanctifying grace.These differ — 1. In respect of the subject. Restraining grace is common, and works upon wicked men as well as others. As in Esau, who was restrained from hurting Jacob (Genesis 20:6). But none but the children of God have sanctifying grace. 2. In their nature and essence. Sanctifying grace is wrought in the soul by the Spirit of God (Jeremiah 31:33, and 1 John 3:9; Matthew 12:35). But restraining grace has no such habit and principle, but is only occasional and temporary. 3. In their operation. Sanctifying grace keeps the soul from sin by destroying it; restraining, only by imprisoning it. The former strikes especially at the sins of the heart, the latter only hinders the sins of the life. Sanctifying grace engages the will against sin; but restraining grace only rouses up the conscience against it. Now, a wicked man may Sill against his conscience; but it is impossible that he should ever sin against his will. That is continually set upon sin; and were it not that God sometimes raiseth up natural conscience in him to oppose his corrupt will, he would every moment rush into the most damning impieties without any of the least regret or sense of it. When the devil presents a sin to the embraces of the will, and when the will closes with it, and all the faculties of the soul are ready to commit it, God sends in conscience among them. "What, Conscience, art thou asleep! Seest thou not how the devil and thine own devilish heart are now plotting and contriving thine eternal ruin?" This rouses conscience, and makes it storm and threaten, and hurl firebrands into the face of sin, while it lies in the very embraces of the will; and, though it cannot change the will from loving it, yet it frights the will from committing it. This is the most usual way which restraining grace takes for the prevention of stir, by sending in conscience to make strong and vigorous oppositions against it. VI. APPLICATION OF ALL THIS 1. How erroneous to ascribe our preservation not to the grace of God, but to our own will. 2. How we ought to praise God if we are preserved from these sins. 3. How we should guard against provoking God to withdraw the influence of His grace from us. He will never utterly forsake us; but yet He may so far depart from us as that we may have no comfortable sense of His presence, nor any visible supports from His grace. We may be left a naked and destitute prey to every temptation; and fall into the commission of those sins out of which we may never be able to recover ourselves to our former strength, comfort, and stability. We may fall, to the breaking of our hones; and we may rise again, possibly, but it will be to the breaking of our hearts. (E. Hopkins, D. D.) Parallel Verses KJV: Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me: then shall I be upright, and I shall be innocent from the great transgression. WEB: Keep back your servant also from presumptuous sins. Let them not have dominion over me. Then I will be upright. I will be blameless and innocent of great transgression.