evil and con-upt qualities, yet is there some one usually that is para- mount, more powerful and prevalent, that swayeth and sheweth forth itself more eminently and more evidently than any other of them do ; and from this, therefore, more frequently and apparently discovering itself, is the denomination wont to be given whereby some are styled ambitious, some lascivious, some envious, some malicious, some haughty, some hasty, and the like. Or as in every man's body there is a seed and principle of death, yet some are more prone to die of a fever than of a dropsy, and others are more prone to die of a dropsy than of a fever, &c. ; so though original sin hath spread itself over all our noble and ignoble parts, yet every man hath his particular inclinations to one kind of sin rather than another ; and this may properly be called a man's own sin, his own evil w^ay. Now mark, a gracious heart makes most head, most opposition, against his darling sin, against his com- plexion sin, against those sins that were once as dear to him as his right hand, or as his right eye, or as Delilah was to Sajnson, Herodias to Herod, Isaac to Abraham, and Joseph to Jacob : Ps. xviii. 23, 'I was also upright before him, and I kept myself from mine iniquity ;' that is, from my darling sin whereunto I was most inclined and addicted. What this bosom-sin was that he kept himself from, it is hard to say. Some suppose his darling sin was lying, dissembling, for it is certain he* often feU into this sin : Ps. cxis. 2^, ' Remove from me the way of lying.' ^ Others suppose it to be some secret iniquity, which was onty known to God and hLS own conscience. Others say it was uncleanness, and that therefore he prayed that God would turn away his eyes- from beholding vanity, Ps. cxix. 87. Others judge it to be that sin of dis- loyalty which Saul and his courtiers falsely charged upon him. Well, be it this or that, it is enough for our purpose that his heart did rise against that very sin that either by custom or complexion, or some strong inclination, he was most naturally apt, ready, and prone to fall into. This is the laying of the axe to the root of the tree j and by this practice David gives a clear proof of the integrity of his heart. Idolatry was the darling sin- of the people of Israel ; they called their idols delectable or desirable things ; they did dearly affect and greatly delight in their idols, Jer. xvii. 1, 2 ; Hosea ii. 8 ; Isa. xxxi. 6, 7, xliv. 9, &c. But when the Lord in the day of his power wrought savingly and gloriously upon their hearts, oh ! how did their hatred and indignation against their idols rise 1 as you may see Isa. xxx. 22, * Ye shall defile also the covering of thy graven images of silver, and the ornament of thy molten images of gold : thou shalt cast them away as a menstruous cloth ; thou shalt say unto it. Get thee hence.' They were so delighted and enamoured with their idols, that they would lavish gold out of the bag, or they waste or spend riotously, as the Hebrew runs, that they might richly deck them up, and set them forth in the greatest glory and bravery. Oh ! but when the Lord should make a glorious turn upon their spirits, then they should readily and roundly deface, defile, and disgrace their idols, then they should hate and abhor them, then they should so detest and loathe them, that in a holy indignation they should cast them aw^ay as a menstruous cloth, and say unto them. Get ye hence,
* Id that 1 Sam. xxi. 2, 8, he tells tliree or four round lies, and the like he did in tliat 1 Sam. xxvii. 8-10.
358 A CABINET OF JEWELS. [ChAP. II.