observes ; for the law is one copulative : one commandment cannot be wronged, but all are interested in the same ; as the whole body snfFers by a wovmd given to one part: 'God spake all these words,' Exod. xx. 1. They are ten words, but one law. Secondly, By allowing one sin, we disarm and deprive ourselves of having a conscientious argument to defend ourselves against any other. He that can go against his conscience in one, cannot plead conscience against any other ; for if the authority of God awes him from one, it will from all. ' How can I do this, and sin against God?' saith Joseph. I doubt not but his answer would have been the same if his mistress had bid him tell a lie for her, as now when she enticed him to lie with her. The ninth commandment would have bound him as well as the seventh. Hence the apostle exhorts not to 'give place to the devil,' Eph. iv. 27, implying, by yielding to one, we lose our ground, and what we lose he gains; and let him alone to improve his advantages. The little wimble once entered, the workman can then drive a great nail. One sin will widen thy swallow a little, — thou wilt not so much strain at the next. Thirdly, Allow one sin, and God will give you over to others : ' Wherefore God also gave them up unto imcleanness,' Rom. i. 24. The Gentiles gave themselves to idolatry, ver. 21, and God gave them up unto other beastly lusts. When Judas began to play the thief, I question whether he meant to turn traitor ; no, his treason was a punishment for his thievery. He allowed himself in a secret sin, and God gave him up to one more open and horrid. Fourthly, Suppose thou couldst, which is impossible, take one sin into thy bosom, and shut all the rest out, yet the word tells thee that thou art a servant to that one sin : ' His servants ye are to whom ye obey,' Rom. vi. 16; and consequently the devil's servants, whose kingdom you endeavour to hold up, by defending, though but this one castle, against the Lord your Maker. Neither will it excuse thee to say thou intendest not so. Haply covetousness is thy sin, and it is thy profit thou aimest at, not siding with the devil against God. 'Though this is not thy express end, yet it is the end of the sin which thou committest, and of Satan that put thee upon the work, and so will be charged upon thee at last. The common soldier ordinarily looks no higher than his pay; this is it which draws him into the field; yet they make themselves traitors by assisting him that leads them on against their prince ; and it will not serve the turn for them to say they fought for their pay, and not to dethrone him. Ahab sold himself to work evil in the sight of the Lord, 1 Kings xxi. 20; and yet we read not that he made any express covenant with the devil; but the meaning is, he did that which in effect amounted to no less. He knew that if he sinned he should pay his soul for it, and he would have his lust, notwithstanding he was acquainted with its price, and therefore inter- pretatively, he sold his soul that he might enjoy his sin.
Secondly, Thou mayest learn from the word that thou canst not be a servant to any one sin, and to God at the same time ; you cannot serve two masters ; you cannot serve God and mammon. By mammon is meant one particular lust, — covetousness. One body may as well have two souls, as one soul two masters. One soul hath but one love ; and two cannot have the supremacy of it. I have heard, indeed, of a wretch that said he had one soid for God, and another for the devil ; but if he hath one soul in hell, I am afraid he will not find another in heaven ; and one sin will as certainly send thee thither, as a thousand. ' Be not deceived, neither fornicators, nor idolators, &c., shall inherit the kingdom of God.' He doth not only exclude him that is guilty of all these, but any of these. It is certain all men shall die, but all do not die of the same disease ; and as certain all impenitent sinners shall be damned ; but one is damned for one, and a second for another, but all meet at last in the same hell.
Section IL — May be thou art tempted to sin by an opportunity of committing it in secret, where thou shalt not pay the loss of thy credit for the purchase of thy pleasure. This was the snare the simple young man's foot was taken in, Prov. vii. 18: his strumpet tells him the good man was from home, the coast was clear; they might drink their stolen waters without fear of being mdicted for the theft. Too many, alas ! whom shame of the world keeps from knocking at the front door, are easily persuaded to sin, if they may slip in at the postern. Saul himself, though ashamed to go to a witch in his princely
AND THE SWORD OF THE SPIRIT. gQ9