6. Grace discovers itself by the constant endeavours which they make against sin. What is the constant course a Christian takes ? They groan under the relics of sin ; it is their burden that they have such an evil nature, Kom. vii. 24. They fly to God's grace in Christ for daily pardon, 1 John i. 9. They are ever washing their garments in the Lamb's blood, Piev. vii., and every day are cleansing themselves from the filthiness and defilement they contract by sin : John xiii. 10, * He that is washed, needeth not save to wash his feet.' An allusion to a man that hath been a journey, in those countries where they went barefoot, when he came home he must wash his feet. So a man that is reconciled to God, though he hath been in the bath, in the fountain which God hath opened for uncleanness, yet every day he must be washing his feet, cleansing himself by the blood of Christ more and more, because he contracts new defilement. Then by using all endea- vours against it. Col. iii. 5 ; as prayer, striving, watching, cutting off the provisions of the flesh, improving the death of Christ. They do not voluntarily and without opposition live under sin, and the slavish tyranny of it. Their bent and habitual inclination is to do otherwise ; therefore they are said to do no iniquity : whereas those that are reck- less and careless of their souls, sin, and never lay it to heart ; they are the workers of iniquity.
Use 2. If this be the character of a blessed man, to make it our business to avoid sin, then here is caution to God's people:
1. To beware of all sin.
2. To be very cautious against gross sins, committed against the light of conscience.
3. To beware of continuance in sin.
First, To beware of all sin. The more you have the mark of a blessed man : 1 John ii.' 1, ' These things I write unto you, that you
VeR. 3.] SERMONS UPON PSALM CXIX. 3j
sla not.' Though you have a pardon and cleansing by the blood of Christ, though you have an advocate, yet sin not. Now the motives to set oa this caution are taken from God, from ourselves, from the nature of sin.
1. From God. Sin not. Why? Because it is an offence to God. Consider how contrary sin is to all the persons in the Trinity. To God the Father as a lawgiver, being a contempt of his authority, 1 John iii. 4. Sin is avo[jb[a, ' a transgression of the law,' that is, an act of disloyalty and rebellion against the crown of heaven. Open sin doth as it were proclaim rebellion and war against God ; and privy sin is conspiracy against him. All creatures have a law : Ps. cxlviii. 6, ' Thou hast set to them a decree, beyond which they cannot pass.' And they are less exorbitant in their motions than we are. It is a greater violation to the law of nature for man to sin, than for the sea to break its bounds. The creatures have not sense and reason, yet they do not pass beyond the law which God hath set them. This should prevail with the new creature especially, whose hearts God hath suited to the law, so that they offer a violence to their own conscience. Take heed of entering into the lists with God, of despising his autho- rity. Every sin that is committed slights the law wliicli forbids it : 2 Sam. xii. 9, 'Wherefore despisest thou his commandments ? ' God stands much upon his law, — one tittle shall not pass away, — and 5'ou despise it, go about to make it void, when you give way to sin. Nay, it is an abuse of his love : 1 John iii. 1, ' Behold what manner of love the Father hath showed us ; ' you are children and sons of God, and will you slight his love ? Your sins are like Absalom's treason against his father. The Eechabites are commended for keeping their father's command, Jer, xxxv. Set pots before them, &c. — No, our father hath forbidden us to drink wine. Their father was dead, but ours is liv- ing ; will you that are sons renounce God, and side with the devil's party, and commit sin, — you to whom the Father hath showed such love that you should be called his children? Then it is a wrong to Jesus Christ — to his merit, to his example. To his merit. Christ came to take away sin, and will you bind those cords the faster which Christ came to loosen ? Then you go about to defeat the purpose of his death, and put your Redeemer to shame. You seek to make void the great end for which Christ came, which was to dissolve sin. And, besides, you disparage the worth of the price he paid down ; you make the blood of Christ a cheap thing, when you despise grace and holi- ness ; you make nothing of that which cost him so dear — you lessen the greatness of his sufierings. And it is a wrong to his pattern. You should be ' pure as Christ is pure,' 1 John iii. 3 ; and ver. 7, be ' right- eous as he is righteous.' You should discover what a holy person Christ was, by a conformity to him in your conversation. Now, will you dishonour him ? What a strange Christ will you hold forth to the world, when his name is upon you — will you give way to sin and folly ? And it is a wrong to God the Spirit, a grief to him. His great and first work was to wash us from sin, Titus iii. 5. You forget that such a work was past upon your hearts, and that you 'have been purged from your old sins,' when you return to them again, 2 Peter i. 9 ; and his constant residence in the heart is to check the lusts of