their bitter mournings over their relapses. Relapses into diseases, and relapses into sins, are more troublesome and dangerous than they are any ways delightful to all that are in their wits.
(4.) Fourthly, They do not relapse out of any settled purpose or resolu- tion of heart to relapse, as wicked men do, Jer. ii. 25. All the relapses of a saint are against the settled bent, bias, and resolution of his soul.
(5.) Fifthly, They do not relapse out of any love or longing to relapse, as wicked men do, who long and love to return to the flesh-pots of Egjrpt.
(6.) Sixthly, They do not relapse iiito enormities, as wicked men do, for it is not usual with God to leave his people frequently to relapse into enormities ; for by his Spirit and grace, by his smiles and frowns, by his word and rod, he doth commonly preserve his people from a com- mon, a frequent relapsing into enormities, into gross wickednesses. The common and ordinary relapses of the people of God are relapses into infirmities, as idle words, passion, hastiness, rashness, vain thoughts, &c., and these God pardons in course ; but the common and ordinary relapses of wicked men are relapses into enormities, into gross impieties.
(7.) Seventhly, They do not relapse habitually, constantly, as wicked men do. Their relapses are transient, not permanent, they are not of course. A sheep may fall into the mire, but a swine wallows in the mire, &c.
[2.] But, secondly, I answer affirmatively. That notwithstanding all this, yet a true penitential turning from sin is a continued and sted- foM turning from sin,^ and that in these five respects : —
(1.) First, In respect of his habitual purpose and resolution not to sin : Ps. xxxix. 1, ' I said I will take heed to my ways, that I sin not with my tongue ; I will keep my mouth with a bridle, while the wicked is before me.' David resolves to lay a law of restraint upon his tongue, and to clap a muzzle upon his mouth, whilst he was in the presence of the wicked, who did lie at the catch to -ensnare him and trepan him. Come health, come sickness, come honour, come reproach, come poverty, come plenty, come liberty, come restraint, come life, come death, the true penitent is fixed in his purpose and resolution not to sin. Jerome writes of a brave woman, that being upon the rack, told her persecutors that they might do their worst, for she was firmly resolved rather to die than lie.
(2.) Secondly, In respect of his habitucd desires, which are, that he may not sin: Ps. cxix. 133, ' Order my steps in thy word, and let not any iniquity have dominion over me.' David's great desire is that he may walk as in a frame, that he may walk by line and rule, exactly, accurately ; and that though sin did dwell in him, that yet it might not reign in him ; and though it did rebel in him, that yet it might not have dominion over him. He would have his sins to be like those beasts in Daniel, whose dominion was taken away, though their lives were pro- longed for a season and a time, chap. vii. 1 2 ; Ps. cxix. 10, ' O ! let me not wander from thy commandments.' Ver. 36, ' Incline my heart unto thy testimonies, and not to covetousness.' Under the name of covet- ousness all manner of viciousness is to be understood, that being the root of all evil, 1 Tim. vi. 10.
(3.) Thirdly, In respect of his habitual endeavours, which still are not to sin. The ordinary and habitual endeavours of a true penitent > See my Treatise on Holiness, pp. 507-509.— [Vol. IV.— G.]
434; A CABINET OF JEWELS. [ChAP. III.
are still set against sin. He ordinarily rows against the stream of sin, though sometimes the stream proves too strong for him: Ps. cxix. 11, ' Thy word have I hid in my heart, that I might not sin against thee.' He hides the word in his heart as a treasure, that he might not lose it, and as a rule, that he might not transgress against it. The law of God kept close in the heart is the best armour of proof against evil lusts. David locks up the law of God in his heart, as in a chest or cabinet, to secure him against Satan's ambushes and assaults on the one hand, and to preserve him from sin on the other hand. So Ps. xviii. 23, ' I have kept myself from mine iniquity.'
(4.) Fourthly, In respect of his habitual Jiatred of sin. Although the true penitent does sometimes sin, yet he always hates the evil he does. There is a firm and fixed hatred in his soul against sin : Ps. cxix. 104, ' Therefore I hate every false way.' Ver. 113, ' I hate vain thoughts ' Yer. 163, 'I hate and abhor lying.' So Piom. vii. 15, ' The evil that I hate, that I do.' A penitent heart usually rises and swells against the toad in the bosom. Some say, that there is such a native dread and terror of tlie hawk implanted in the dove, that she is afraid of every feather, and that she detests and abhors the very sight of any feather that hath grown upon a hawk ; so there is such a detestation and ab- horrency of sin divinely implanted in every penitent man's heart, that he cannot but hate everything that looks like it, or that belongs to it, or that comes from it.
(5.) Fifthly, In re si^ed of his constant path, or continued way, or course of life, lohich is quite opposite and contrary to sin : Gal. v. 17, Isa. xxvL 7, 'The way of the just is uprightness.' Prov. xvi. 17, ' The highway of the upright is to depart from evil.' It is as conimon and ordinary for upright persons to depart from evil, as it is for passengers to keep the king's highways. Though an upright man, through mis- take or weakness of grace, or violence of temptation, may step out of a way of holiness, yet walking in a way of wickedness cannot be charged upon him : Ps. cxxxix. 23, 24, ' Search me, O God! and know my heart; try me, and know my thoughts, and see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.' You know the path and practice of penitent Zaccheus, of penitent Paul, and of the penitent jailor, was cpiite contrary to those ways of wickedness that they had formerly walked in.
Ans. 4. But foinihly and lastly. As a true penitential turning from sin is a constant and continued turning from sin, so it is a returning to God. Sin is an aversion from God, and repentance is a conversion to God, Acts xxvi. 18. Sound repentance is not only a ceasing from doing evil, but also a learning to do well, Isa. i. 16, 17. Repentance and turning to God are joined together, as being one and the same thing, Acts xxvi. 20. The prodigal's repenting was his returning to his father : Luke xv. 17, ' When he came to himself, he said, I will arise and go to my father, and say. Father, I have sinned against heaven and before thee.' &c. The Hebrew word for repentance is from 3it% shob, which signifies to return, implying a going back from what a man had done. It notes a returning or converting from one thing to another, as from sin to God, from evil to good, from hell to heaven. The common
Chap. III.] a cabinet of jewels. 435