The Anatomy of Secret Sins, Presumptuous Sins, Sins in Dominion, and Uprightness

Christians long to live a life pleasing to God, yet they can easily be overwhelmed by the burden of their sins. By explaining David’s prayer in Psalm 19:12–13, Obadiah Sedgwick alerts us to various ways sin works within the heart so we can better assess our struggle and find our rest in Christ. More precisely, he helps us understand sin’s deceptive nature, recognize degrees of boldness in sinning, and discern whether sin has dominion over our life—all helpful aids for those who love and desire an upright heart. The book closes with a twofold appendix on Matthew 12:31, observing the depths of God’s mercy in Christ to forgive all manner of sins and His justice in not pardoning sin against the Holy Ghost. Open and read this classic Puritan treatment on the doctrine of sin.

Endorsement

“Whereas humility and sincerity are graces eminently excellent and useful throughout the whole course of Christianity, rendering every other grace and every duty the more lovely and acceptable, you may expect helps in both these from this ensuing treatise. The text here handled holds forth at the first view both the sinfulness and uprightness of God’s servants, their sinfulness bitterly bewailed, and their uprightness seriously designed, whence we have The Anatomy of Secret Sins, Presumptuous Sins, Sins in Dominion, and Uprightness.”

—fellow divines of the Westminster Assembly,
Humphrey Chambers (ca. 1599–1662)
Edmund Calamy (1600–1666)
Simeon Ash (d. 1662)
Adoniram Byfield (d. 1660)

Contents

To the Christian Reader
Introduction

1. A Holy Person Desires to Be Cleansed
2. David Prays to Be Delivered from Secret Sins
3. The Servants of God Should Pray to Be Kept from Presumptuous Sins
4. Respecting Sin in Dominion
5. David’s Aim to Be Upright

Appendix: The Throne of Mercy and the Tribunal of Justice