Fifthly^ In the earnest and unfeigned desires, and careful endea- vours of the soul to abandon all sin, to forsake all sin, and to he rid of all sin, Rom. vii. 22, 23. You know when a prudent, tender, indul- gent father sees his child to fail and come short in that which he en- joins him to do ; yet knowing that his desires and endeavours is to please him, and serve him, he will not be harsh, rigid, sour, or severe towards him, but will spare him, and exercise much tenderness and indulgence towards him ; and will God, will God whose mercies reach above the heavens, and whose compassions are infinite, and whose love is like himself, carry it worse towards his children than men do carry it towards theirs ? Surely no. God's fatherly indulgence accepts of the will for the work, Heb. xiii. 18 ; 2 Cor. viii. 12. Certainly, a sick man is not more desirous to be rid of all his diseases, nor a prisoner to be freed from all his bolts and chains, than the true penitent is desirous to be rid of all his sins.
Sixthly and lastly. In the common and ordinary declining, shun- ning, and avoiding of all knoivn occasions of sin, yea, and all tempta- tions, provocations, inducements, and enticements to sin, &c. That royal law, 1 Thes. v. 22, * Abstain from all appearance of evil,' is a law that is very precious in a penitent man's eye, and commonly lies warm upon a penitent man's heart ; so that take him in his ordinary course, and you shall find him very ready to shun and be shy of the very appearance of sin, of the very shows and shadows of sin. Job made ' a covenant with his eyes,' Job xxxi. 1 ; and Joseph would not hearken to his bold tempting mistress, * to lie by her, or to be with her,' Gen. xxxix. 10 ; and David when himself, would not ' sit with vain persons,' Ps. xxvi, 3-5. Now a true penitential turning from all sins lies in these six things: and therefore you had need look about you ; for if there be any one way of wickedness wherein you walk, and which you are resolved you will not forsake, you are no true penitents, and you will certainly lose your souls, and be miserable for ever.
[8.] This opinion that is now under consideration, is an opinion that loill exceedingly deject many precious Christians, and cause them greatly to hang doion their heads, especially in four days. 1. In the day of common calamity ; 2. In the day of personal affliction ; 3. In the day of death ; 4. In the great day of account.
First, In a day of common calamity, when the sword is drunk with the blood of the slain, or when the raging pestilence lays thou- sands in heap upon heap, or when fevers, agues, gripes, and other diseases carry hundreds every week to their long homes. Oh, now the remembrance of a man's beloved sins, his bosom sins, his darling sins — if a saint had any such sins— will be very apt to fill his soul with fears, dreads, and perplexities. Surely now God will meet with me, now God will avenge himself on me for my beloved sins, my bosom sins, my darling sins ! Oh, how righteous a thing is it with God, because of my beloved lusts, to sweep me away by these sweeping judgments that are abroad in the earth 1 On the contrary, how sweet and com- fortable a thing is it, when in a day of common calamity a Christian
28 SERIOUS AND WEIGHTY QUESTIONS
can appeal to God, and appeal to conscience, that though he has many weaknesses and infirmities that hang upon him, that yet he has no beloved sin, no bosom sin, no darling sin, that either God or conscience can charge upon him. Oh, such a consideration as this may be as life from the dead to a gracious Christian, in the midst of all the com- mon calamities that does surround him and that hourly threaten him.
Secondly, In the day of personal affiictions, when the smarting rod is upon him, and God writes bitter things against him ; when the hand of the Almighty has touched him in his name, estate, relations, &c. Oh, now the remembrance of a man's beloved sins, his bosom sins, his darling sins — if a saint had any such sins — will be as ' the handwriting upon the wall,' Dan v. 5, 6, ' that will make his coun- tenance to be changed, his thoughts to be troubled, his joints to be loosed, and his knees to be dashed one against another.' Oh, now a Christian will be ready to conclude. Oh, it is my beloved sins, my bosom sins, my darling sins that has caused God to put this bitter cup into my hand, and that has provoked him to ' give me gall and worm- wood to drink,' Lam. iii. 19. Whereas on the contrary, when a man under all his personal trials, though they are many and great, yet can lift up his head and appeal to God and conscience, that though he has many sinful weaknesses and infirmities hanging upon him, yet neither God nor conscience can charge upon him any beloved sins, any bosom sins, any darling sins. Oh, such a consideration as this will help a man to bear up bravely, sweetly, cheerfully, patiently, and contentedly, under the heaviest hand of God, as is evident in that great instance of Job. Who so sorely afilicted as Job ? and yet no beloved sin, no bosom sin, no darling sin being chargeable upon him by God or con- science, [Job X. 7, and xxxi. 33,] how bravely, sweetly,*and Christianly does Job bear up under those sad changes and dreadful providences that would have broke a thousand of such men's hearts, upon whom God and conscience could charge beloved sins, bosom sins, darling sins 1 But,
Thirdly, In the day of death ; Death is the king of terrors, as Job speaks ; and the * terror of kings,' as the philosopher speaks. ^ Oh how terrible will this king of terrors be to that man upon whom God and conscience can charge beloved sins, bosom sins, darling sins. This is certain, when a wicked man comes to die, all the sins that ever he committed don't so grieve him and terrify him, so sad him and sink him, and raise such horrors and terrors in him, and put him into such a hell on this side hell, as his beloved sins, his bosom sins, his darling sins ; and had saints their beloved sins, their bosom sins, their darling sins, ah, what a hell of horror and terror would these sins raise in their souls, when they come to lie upon a dying bed ! But now when a child of God shall lie upon a dying bed, and shall be able to say, ' Lord, thou knowest, and conscience thou knowest, that though I have had many and great failings, yet there are no beloved sins, no bosom sins, no darling sins, that are chargeable upon me! Lord, thou knowest, and conscience thou knowest: 1. That there is no known sin that I don't hate and abhor. 2. That there is no known sin that I ' Aristotle : cf. Sibbcs, vol. iv. note e, p. 78, and vii. 603, where the original is given
CLEARLY AND SATISFACTORILY ANSWERED. 29