The reasons of this are two — (1.) Because sins will weaken our graces; (2.) They will weaken our comfort; both which are necessary to the keeping of God's law. Therefore, if we would keep the law, and be punctual and close with God in a course of obedience, we must stand at a great distance in heart and practice from all sin.
1. Sins will weaken our graces. There are several graces necessary to the keeping of God's law, as faith, fear, love, hope. You know, at conversion God puts a vital principle into us, that is diversified and called by these several names. These graces are planted in us as principles of operation, and as these decay, our acts of obedience will be more or less ; a sickly faith can produce but weak operations; as it the root wither and decay, the branches will not long flourish. So when our fear and reverence of God is lessened, as it is by every act of sin, the spiritual life will not be carried on with that exactness and care. So wlien our love waxeth cold, we will not be so diligent and serious, for these are the principles of operations, Rev. iii. 3. When they left their first love, they left their first works. If there be a decay and diminution of our graces, then there will be an intercession of acts and operations ; these graces will suft'er a shrewd loss ; they are qualities, and therefore capable of increase and remission, being more or less. As love may wax cold. Mat. xxiv. 26 ; fear may be greater or less ; so faith ; though there be some seed of grace, remains to pre- serve the interest of tlie soul, yet things may be ready to die and I'aint. How do they decay ? By sins. Gal. v. 17. Tiiese things are contrary — iiesh and spirit ; that is, always warring ni)on one another and weakening one another ; and here lies the Christian's advantage, to observe which is up and which is down. By every act of deliberate sin the flesh is strengthened and grace weakened ; these are up and down in a renewed heart ; therefore it is good to see which
VeR. 101.] SERMONS UPON PSALM CXIX. 33
prevails, that you may not weaken your strength. If you gratify the flesh, you hearten your enemy, and strengthen your clog, and so grace languisheth.
2. It weakens our comfort. Comfort is necessary to make us lively and cheerful in God's service. The Lord knows we drive on heavily when we have not that peace of conscience, serenity of mind, and want the comforts of God's iSpirit. The more our hearts are enlarged the more we run the way of God's commandments, Ps. cxix. 32. What is an enlarged heart? Chiefly hy joy and comfort; it is joy that enlargeth the heart. Now sin weakens this joy, this comfort which is our strength. When Adam sinned, his soul was filled with horror, Gen. iii. 10; and David, when he had heen tampering with sin, lost his comfort : Ps. li. 8, ' Make me to hear of joy and gladness, that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice; ' and ver. 12, ' Restore to me the joy of thy salvation.^ He that pricks himself with a needle or sharp thing must needs feel pain ; so whosoever gives way to sin certainly will have trouble of soul, confusion, grief, fear, sorrow, and loseth his sense of salvation for a time, and sins away his peace. Always the more exact our walking, the more is our peace of con- science: 2 Cor. i. 12, 'This is our rejoicing, the testimony of our conscience,' &c. Well, then, if we would be punctual with God, we see how much it concerns us to stand at a distance from every evil way.
Use 1. To show how far they are fi'om a course of obedience that live under a full power of their sins. Never think you seek after that wdiich is good while your evil scent remains with you, and your former evils are in life and strength to this very day. All those that wallow in brutish sins of drunkenness and adultery, so those that are guilty of common swearing, Sabbath-breaking, and such like gross sins, these have good thoughts of themselves, they have sincerity towards God ; but such have a spot that is not the spot of God's people. Twice there is a caution interposed that such should not be deceived, 1 Cor. vi. 9 ; Eph. vi. 6. You will say, Where lies the danger of any deceit ? The worst are apt to deceive their OAvn hearts. There is a world of these deceivings in the hearts of men ; the best of saints have fallen into as great sins. They think these are but petty slips and human infirmities, and God's patience will suffer all ; grace will pardon all at length, and no man is perfect ; therefore they have some hopes to even those that are drunkards, adulterers, and abusers of themselves with man- kind ; though their sins be as Sodom, those that fall into the grossest sins ; they are apt to be deceived. Be not deceived ; these things are not consistent with grace.