J. 8. If you would not fall short of the kingdom of heaven, take heed of worldly miiidedness ; a covetous sjiirit is a dunghill spirit, it chokes good affections, as the earth puts out the fire. The world hindered the young man from following Christ, — ahiit tristis, he went away sorrowful, Luke xviii. 23., which extorted these words from our Saviour, ver. 24., " How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God !" DiviticB sceculi sunt laquei diaboH, Bern. Riches are golden snares. If a man were to climb up a steep rock, and had weights tied to his legs, it would hin- der him from his ascent; too many golden weights will hinder him from climbing up that steep rock which leads to heaven, Ex- od. xiv. 3., " They are entangled in the land, the wilderness hath shut them in." So it may be said of many, they are entanir- led in earthly affairs, the world hath shut them in ; the world is no friend to grace ; the more the chiM sucks the weaker the nurse is ; and the more the world sucks and draws from us, the weaker our grace is, I John ii. 15., '* Love not the world." Had a man a monopoly of all the wealth of the world, — were he able to empty the wes- tern parts of gold and the eastern of spices, — could he heap up riches to the starry hea- ven, yet his heart would not be filled : co- vetousness is a dry dropsy. Joshua, who could stop the course of the sun, could not stop Achan in his covetous pursuit of the wedge of gold ; he whose heart is locked up in his chest, will be locked out of hea- ven. Some ships, that have escaped the rocks, have been cast away upon the sands : many, who have escaped gross sins, have been cast away upon the world's golden sands.
A. 9. If you would not come short of the kingdom of heaven, take heed of indul- ging any sin ; one millstone will drown, as well as more ; and one sin lived in will damn, as well as more. Ubi regnat pecca- turn, non potest regnare Dei regnuiUy HiLRoai.
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OF THE SECOND PETITION IN THE LORD'S PRAYER
If any one sin reign, it will keep you from reigning in the kingdom of heaven. Espe- cially keep from sins of presumption, which waste conscience. Vastare conscientiam, Tertul. And the sin of your natural con- stitution,— the peccatuni in dilitiL% Aug. Thy darling sin, Ps. xviii. 23., " I have kept myself from mine iniquity," that sin which my heart would soonest decoy and flatter me into. As in the hive there is one master -hee, so in the heart one master-sin : O take heed of this !
Quest. How may this sin he known ? Ans. (1.) That sin which a man cannot endure the arrow of a reproof should shoot at, that is the bosom-sin. Herod could not brook to have his incest meddled with, — that was a noli me tingere ; men can be con- tent to have other sins declaimed against, but if a minister put his finger upon the sore, and toucheth upon one special sin, then igne micant ocidi, they are enraged, and spit the venom of malice.
A. (2.) That sin which a man's heart runs out most to, and he is most easily cap- tivated by, that is the Delilah in the bosom. One man is overcome with wantonness, a- nother by worldliness. It is a sad thing a man should be so bewitched by a beloved sin, that if it ask him to part with not only one half the kingdom, but the whole king- dom of heaven, he must part with it to gra- tify that lust.
A. (3.) That sin which doth most trou- ble a man and fly in his face in an hour of sickness and distress, that is the sin he hath allowed himself in, and is his complexion- sin. When Joseph's brethren were distres- sed, their sin in selling their brother came into their remembrance. Gen. xlii. 21., " We are verily guilty concerning our bro- ther," &c. So, when a man is upon his sick- bed, and conscience shall say, thou hast been guilty of such a sin, the sin of slan- derino- or uncleanness, conscience reads a man a sad lecture ; it aff"rights him most for one sin, that is the complexion-sin.
A. (4.) That sin which a man is loathest to part with, that is the endeared sin. Ja- cob could of all his sons most hardly part with Benjamin, Gen. xlii. 35., " Ye will take Benjamin away." So saith the sinner, this and that sin I have left, but must Beu-