(7.) The serpent casts her coat, but keeps her sling : in this sense be not like the ser-
CHRISTIAN PRUDENCE AND INNOCEXCY.
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pent, to cast off the outward acts of sin, and keep the U)vc of sin: lie whose heart is in h)ve witli any sin, is an hy]K)crito. 1. A man may forhoar sin, yet retain the love of it ; lie may forbear the act <)f gross sin, formidine pccnce, for fear of hell, as a man may forbear a dish he loves, for fear it should bring his disease upon him, the stone or gout. 2. A man may forsake sin, v(>t keep the love of sin ; he may forsake sin cither out of policy or necessity. \st, Po- licy : vice will impair his health, eclipse his credit, therefore out of policy, he will for- sake it ; or, 2dly, Necessity : perhaps he can follow the trade of sin no longer, — the a- dultercr is grown old, — the prodigal poor, — either the purse fails, or the strength. Thus a man may refrain the act of sin, yet retain the love of sin ; this is like the ser- pent, which casts her coat, but keeps her sting. O take heed of this ! Herein be not like the serpent ; remember that saying of Ilierom, grovitis est peccatum diligere qiiam perpretare ; it is worse to love sin than to commit it. A man may commit sin throufrh a temptation, or out of ignorance, and when he knows it to be a sin, he is sorry for it, but he that loves sin, his will is in the sin, and that aggravates it, and is like the dye which makes the wool of a crimson colour.
(8.) Serpents are chased away with sweet perfumes ; the perfume of harts-horn, or the sweet odotir of the styrax will drive the serpent away. In this be not like the serpent, to be driven away with the sweet perfumes of holiness. Carnal hearts are for things only which delight the senses; they will discourse of news or traffic, here they are in their element; but let a man bring with him the sweet perfume of religious discourse, — let him talk of Christ, (»r living by faith, — this spiritual ])erfumc drives them away : Oh, be not in this like the ser- pent ! How do you think to live with the eaints in heaven, that cannot endure their company here ? You hate the sweet savour of their ointments, the fragrant perfume of their graces.
(9.) The serpent (as is noted of the stel- lio, a kind of serpent) doth no sooner cast his skin, but he eats it up again : in this be not like the serpent to forsake sin, and then take it up again, 2 Pet. ii. 22., " It is hap-
pened unto them according to the true pro- verb, " The dog is returned to his own vo- mit again." Such were Demas and Julian. Many, after a divorce, espouse their sins a- gain ; as if one's ague should leave him a while, and then come again ; the devil seemed to be cast out, but comes the second time : and, the end of that man is worse than his beginning, Luke xi. 2G., because his sin is greater ; he sins knowinffly and wilfully, and his damnation will be greater.
(10.) Serpents are great lovers of wine. Pliny, who writes the natural history, saith, " If serpents come where wine is, they drink insatiably." In this be not like the serpent : though the scripture allows the use of wine, I Tim. v. 23., yet it forbids the excess, Ejdi. v. 18., " Be not drunk with wine wherein is excess." Be not like the serpent in this " lovers of wine." Because this sin of drunkenness doth so abound in this age, I shall enlarge something more on this head. It is said of the old world, " They did eat, they drank, till the flood came," Luke xvii. 27. Drinking is not a sin, but the meaning is they drank to in- temperance, they disordered themselves with drink; and God let them have li(juor enough, first they were drowned in wine, and then in water.
There is no sin which doth more deface Cod's image than drunkenness, it disguiseth a person, and doth even unman him; drunkenness makes him have the throat of a fish, the bcilly of a swine, and the head of an ass ; drunkenness is the shame of nature, the extinguisher of reason, the shipwreck of chastity, and the murder of conscience; drunkenness is hurtful for the body, the cup kills more than the cannon ; it causeth dropsies, catarrhs, apoplexies ; drunkenness fills the eyes with fire, and the legs with water, and turns the body into an hospital ; but the greatest hurt is that it doth to the soul ; excess of wine breeds the worm of conscience. The dnuikard is seldom re- claimed by repentance, and the ground of it is partiv, because, by this sin, the senses are so enchanted, reason so im|)aired, and lust so inflamed; and partly, it is judicial, the drunkard being so besotted with this sin, God saith of him as of Ephraim, Hos. iv. 17., " Ephraim is joined to idols, let him
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SELECT SERMONS.