Isle of Man Part 01

The Isle of Man or Legal proceedings in Manshire Part 1

Lamentations 3:40 Let us search and try our ways The lamenting prophet Jeremiah in his days, full of lamentation and mourning, seeing and also partaking with others of those miseries which befell the state of the Jews, justly procured at God's hands for their sins, doth here give them advice what was best to be done, that in this their distress God might show them mercy; and that was to repent and turn unto the Lord, to the effecting whereof he counselleth them two things. 1. To search out sin. 2. To put it to trial. Lam 3:40 In the handling whereof I will proceed as here we do against a lewd and wicked malefactor, legally, according to the laws of this realm. The first part of the process is to search; we know that when one hath offended the laws, hath committed any felony, murder, treason, or done any outrage, for which he is to be apprehended, he presently flying and hiding himself, is pursued, and sought after; diligent search is made to arrest him. The malefactor here which doth so much harm on everyone, everywhere without ceasing, is sin. This is a notable thief and robber, daring to set upon any. He robbeth God of his honour and man of God’s favour. This thief stole from angels their excellency of glory, from our first parents their innocency. This is that robbeth us of our graces, the spiritual money we have in the purses of our heart, to help us in our journey to heaven. This villain bereaveth us of our goods, driveth away our cattle, spoileth us of every temporal blessing - of our health, our peace, our liberty, and plenty. He it is that utterly undoeth us, and maketh our state miserable, that we cannot thrive in anything, body or soul. This is a murdering thief. Wheresoever he breaketh in, by day or by night, there will he either kill or be killed. Man and sin cannot both live together. Most bloodily cruel he is, for he will spare none. He slayeth the hoary head and killeth the tender mother with the new-born baby. He regardeth no person, no sex, no age, of so murderous a disposition is he, and so inhumanly barbarous. He is a very strong thief, no human power can subdue him; he taketh man and bindeth him for 'Iniquity taketh the wicked, and holdeth him with the cords of his own sins' (Pr 5:22). He will bear rule where he cometh, all must obey him. He will command the reason, reign over the will, and swagger over the affections, and lead captive the whole man (Ro 7:23) and make him serviceable to his lusts; yea, and make him spend his whole estate to maintain him in his lustful humours; whether it be in pride or drunkenness or gluttony or idleness or adultery, or whatsoever else it is; he both must and will have maintenance, else will he set all on fire, for 'Wickedness burneth as fire' (Is 9:18). This is an ungrateful and mischievous thief for let any entertain him and favour him, he will work their overthrow. Yea, so vile a villain is he, that the more any make of him, the worse is he to them, for he 'withholds all good from them, he procureth mischiefs to light upon them' (Je 5:25, 4:18). He keepeth out grace from having any entertainment. He smothereth conscience from speaking; hardeneth the heart from feeling; blindeth the judgment from discerning; stoppeth the ear from hearing any good counsel; lameth the feet from walk­ing in God's paths; benumbeth the hands from doing duties of charity; and maketh the tongue to falter in speaking of holy things. Neither yet doth he this only; but he worketh enmity betwixt his favourite and his best friend - even between God and his own conscience. And to make up the height of his mischief, the more to strengthen himself against his foolish and unhappy friend, he, at unawares to him, letteth in, and that into the best room, (even the heart,) his great and most deadly enemy, the devil. Thus covetousness did let him into Judas’s heart, and set him on work to betray Christ. Flattery let him into the hearts of the false prophets to deceive Ahab. Carelessness lets him in to hinder the fruit of the Word. Loss of God's lets him in, and seven worse with him, to ruin a man utterly. Hypocritical vain-glory and covetousness did let him into the hearts of Ananias and Sapphira: for vain-glory made them sell all, to make a show to be like Barnabas, but covetousness with unbelief advised them to withhold some of the money, lest they should happen to want – but how to do this and keep their credit they knew not; therefore hypocrisy, vain-glory, covetousness and unbelief called in Satan to hear his counsel, who taught them to lie unto the Holy Ghost, even to the death of them both. Thus we see, what an ungrateful villain Sin is to his best friends. Lastly, this thief is an artful, subtle thief (He 3:13). Sin is deceitful; it beguiled Adam, David, and Solomon: yea, St Paul once rapt up into the third heaven - doth acknowledge that it deceived him (Ro 7:11). And whom hath it not deceived? He is therefore carefully to be avoided and taken heed of and this robbing, murdering, strong, ungrateful, mischievous and subtle thief diligently to be sought out.