4. They may now and then fall foully ; as Noah by excess of drink,
VeR. 3.] SEUMONS TIPON' PSALM CXIX. 33
Lot's incest, David's adultery, Peter's denial. Failings and infirmi- ties they are not determined either by the smallness or by the great- ness of the act, but by other concomitant circumstances. Not by the 5;mallness of rhe act. There is as much treason in coining pence as shillings and pounds. Allowed affection to small sins is deadly and damnable : he that is unfaithful in little will be unfaithful in much. Christians, where temptations are weak and impotent, and of slight concernment and importance, they may be sooner confuted, and obed- ience is the more easy ; so that our rebellion to God by small sins may be greater. A man may have great affections to small sins ; so it may prove an iniquity, a damnable sin.
On the other side, great sins may be infirmities ; as Lot's incest, David's adultery, when they are not done with full consent of soul, when their hearts are not wholly carried away with them. Iniquities are determined by their manner : Jude 15, ' Their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed : ' when with full consent of will, and it is their course that argues an habitual hatred and contempt of God.
5. A child of God may have some particular evils, whicli may be called predominant sins (not with respect to grace, that is impossible, that a man should be renewed and have such sins that sin should carry the mastery over grace) ; but they may be said to have a predominancy in comparison of other sins ; he may have some particular inclination to some evil above others. David had his iniquity, Ps. xviii. 23. Look, as the saints have particular graces ; Abraham was eminent for faith, Timothy for sobriety, Moses for meekness, &c. ; so they have their particular corruptions whicli are more suitable to their temper and course of life. Peter seems to be inclined to tergiversation, and to shrinking in a time of trouble. We find him often tripping in that kind ; in the denial of his master ; again. Gal. ii. 12, it is said he dis- sembled and complied with the Jews, therefore Patd ' withstood him to his face, for he was to be blamed.' It is evident by experience there are particular corruptions to which the children of God are more inclinable: this appears by the great power and sway they bear in commanding other evils to be committed, by their falling into them out of inward propensity when outward temptations are few or weak, or none at all ; and when resistance is made, yet they are more pestered and haunted with them than with other temptations, which is a con- stant matter of exercise and htimiliation to them.
Secondly, Wherein doth grace now discover itself, where is the dif- ference ?
1. In that they cannot fall into those iniquities wherein there is an absolute contrariety to grace, as hatred of God, total apostasy, so they cannot sin the sin unto death, 1 John v. 16.
2. In that they do not sin with the whole heart : Ps. cxix. 176, ' I have gone astray like a lost sheep ; seek thy servant, for I do not forget thy commandments.' There was somewhat of God in the heart, when he was conscious to himself of strayings and wanderings ; and David saitli elsewhere, ' I have not departed wickedly from thy precepts.' When they sin, it is with the disHke and reluctancy of the new nature ; it is rather a rape than a consent. Bernard saith, A child of God suffers sin rather than acts it, and his heart's protest is against it.
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34 SERMONS UPON PSALM CXIX. [SeR. IV.
3. It is not their course ; not constant, easy, and frequent. Eelapfe'es- into gross sins, .tliey argue an habitual aversion from God, for a habit is determined by the constancy and uniformity of acts ; therefore it is but now and then unfler some great temptation. There is sin, and there is a ivay of sin : Ps. cxxxix. 24, ' Search me and see if there ha any way of wickedness in me,' as Chrysostom glosseth.
4. When they fall they do not rest in sin : ' Shall they fall, and shall they not arise ? ' Jer. viii. 4. They may fall into the dirt, but they do not lie and wallow there like swine in the mire. A fountain may be mudded, but it works itself clean again. The needle that hath been touched with the loadstone may be jogged and discomposed, but it never leaves till it turns towards the pole again. God's children have their failings, but they sue out their pardon, run to their advo- cate, 1 John ii. 1, humble themselves before God.
5. Their falls are sanctified. When they have smarted under sin, they grow more watchful and more circumspect. A child of God may have the worse in j^rcdio, in the battle, but not in hello, in the war. Some- times the carnal part may get the victory, and they may fall foul, but see the issue : Ps. li. 6, ' In the hidden part thou shaft make me to know wisdom.' David had sinned against the Lord, but I have learned wisdom, never to trust a naughty heart more, but to look to myself better.