and made her husband go in fear of his life wherever he came ; nay, than the foul fiend, now a cursed devil in hell, is Jike to the holy angel he was in heaven. This woimd which is given by sin to man's nature, Christ hath under- taken to cure by his grace in his elect : the cure is begun here, but not so per- fected that no scar and blemish remains; and this is the great uncomeliness which sincerity lays its finger on and covers.
Section III. — Quest. 2. But here the question may be. How sincerity covers the saints' sinful uncomelinesses?
^n.t. I shall answer to this, first, negatively, and shew how it doth not ; second, affirmatively, how it doth.
First, Negatively, how sincerity doth not cover them ; and that in several particulars. First, Sincerity doth not so cover the saints' failings as to take away their sinful natiu-e ; wandering thoughts ai-e sins in a saint, as well as in another : a weed will be a weed wherever it grows, though in a garden among the choicest flowers : they mistake then, who, because the saints' sins are covered, deny them to be sins. Secondly, It doth not cover them so as to give us the least ground to think that God doth allow the Christian to commit the least sin more than others ; indeed it is inconsistent with God's holiness to give, and with a saint's sincerity to pretend such a dispensation to be given them. A father may, out of his indulgence and love to his child, pass by a failing in his waiting on him ; as, if he spills the wine, or breaks the glass he is bringing to him ; but sure he will not allow him to throw it down carelessly or willingly. Though a man may be easily entreated to forgive his friend that wounded him unawares, when he meant him no hurt, yet he will not beforehand give him leave to do it. Thirdly, It doth not so cover then\^as that God should not see them, which is not only derogatory to his omniscience, but to his mercy also ; for he cannot pardon what he doth not first see to be sin. God doth not only see the sins of his children, but their failings are more distasteful to him than others', because the persons in which they are found are so dear, and stand so near unto him. A dunghill in a prince's chamber would be more oftensive to him than one afar oft' from his court. The Christian's bosom is God's court, throne, temple ; there he hath taken up his rest for ever. Sin there must needs be very unsavoury to his nostrils. Fom-thly, It doth not so cover them as that the saints need not confess them, be humbled under them, or sue out a pardon for them ; a penny is as due a debt as a poimd, and therefore to be acknowledged; indeed, that which is a sin of infirmity in the committing, becomes asin of pre- sumption by hiding of it and hardening in it. Job held fast his integrity through- out his sad conflict ; yet those failings which escaped him in the paroxysm of his aflSictions brought him upon his knees ; ' I abhor myself,' saith he, ' and repent in dust and ashes,' Job xlii. 6. Fifthly, and lastly, It doth not so cover them, as if our sincerity did the least merit and deserve that God should for it cover our other failings and infirmities ; were there such a thing as obedience abso- lutely complete, it could not merit pardon for past sins ; much less can an imperfect obedience, as sincerity is in a strict sense, deserve it for present failing. Obedience legally perfect is no more than, as creatures, we" owe to the law of God; and how could that pay the debt of sin, which was itself due debt before any sin was committed? Much less can evangelical obedience, which is sincei-ity, do it, that falls short by far of that obedience we do owe. If he that owes twenty pounds merits nothing when he pays the whole simi, then surely he doth not that of the twenty pounds he owes pays but twenty pence. Indeed creditors may take what they please, but if they will say half satisfies them, it is discharge enough to the debtor. But where did ever (rod say he would thus compound with his creature ? God stands as strictly upon it in the gospel covenant to have the whole debt paid, as he did in the first of works. There was requii-ed a full righteousness in keeping, or a full curse for breaking of the law ; so there is in the evangelical ; only here the wards of tlie lock are changed. God required this at the creature's hand, in the first covenant, to be personally performed or endured ; but in the gospel covenant he is content to take both at the hands of Christ our surety, and impute these to the sincere soul that uufeigncdly believes on him, and gives uj) himself to him.
Section IV.— Secondly, To shew positively how sincerity covers the saints' failings.
g34 HAVING YOUR LOINS