4. The constant discoveries of hatred against sin are watching and striving against it ; they are ever careful that they may not offend God : Acts xxiv. 1 6, ' And herein do I exercise myself, to keep a con- science void of offence both towards God and men ; ' and keep striv- ing, and a serious resistance, even when they are foiled : Kom. vii. 15, ' The evil that I hate, that do I.' A Christian always hateth sin, though he doth not always prevail against it. In sins of daily infirmity,
184 SERMONS UPON PSALM CXIX. [SEPv. CLXXVIL
striving is conquering; but in other sins, they prevail against theniby degrees ; sin doth not carr}' it freely, nor reign in them : ' For sin shall not have dominion over you ; for ye are not under the law, but under grace/ Bom. vi. 14.
Doct. 2. That a slight hatred of a sinful course is not enough, but we must hate it and abhor it: Rom. xii. 1), ' Abhor that which is evil ; cleave to that which is good.' Hate it as hell, as the word signifieth. We do too coldly speak against evil, too slackly follow after that which is good. If our pursuit after God were more earnest, and our hatred of evil more serious and severe, we should be other manner of Christians than we are. There is a twofold hatred — (1.) The hatred of offence and abomination ; (2.) The hatred of enmity and opposition. By the one our hearts are turned from sin, by the other turned against it. Now both these are necessary for a Christian that would be safe. Hating and abhorring implieth not only a naked abstinence, or a simple refusal, but an enmity ; not a forbearing the act, but a mortifying the affection. We must not only leave off evil, but abhor it ; and not only abhor it, but pursue it with a hostile hatred, purposing, watching, striving, praying against it, thwarting the flesh, and contradicting the motions thereof.
Reason 1. It is not else a hatred becoming sin_. which is so great an evil, so opposite to God's law, and derogatory to God's glory, so mis- chievous to us. There is a great deal of evil in sin, a great deal of evil after sin, that we can never hate it enough. It is the evil of evils, that brought all other evils into the world; it is the violation of a righteous law, 1 John iii. 4 ; a contempt of God's authority : Exod. v. 2, ' Who is the Lord, that I should obey his voice?' Ps. xii. 4, ' Our tongues are our own ; who is lord over us?' It is a defacing of his image, and a casting off the glory and honour of our creation : Rom. iii. 23, ' We have sinned, and are come short of the glory of God.' Ps. xlix. 12, ' Nevertheless man being in honour abideth not ; he is like the beasts that perish.' A despising of his power by a silly worm, as if we could make good our party against him : 1 Cor. x. 22, ' Do we provoke the Lord to jealousy? are we stronger than he?' It sepa- rateth from communion writh God : Isa. lix. 2, ' Your iniquities have separated between me and you.' It preferreth base satisfactions before the enjoyment of him : 2 Tim. iii. 4, ' Lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God ;' as if the base and brutish pleasures of the flesh were to be preferred before the love of God.' This and much more may be said of sin ; and is any hatred too great for it ? Ps. ci. 3, ' I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes : I hate the work of them that turn aside ; it shall not cleave to me.'
Reason 2. No other hatred will serve the purposes of grace. A love that is cold will soon fail ; so also will a hatred. Where our zeal is not set against sin we soon fall into a liking of it ; therefore the soul is not sufficiently guarded by a slight hatred. If sin be not detestable, it will soon seem tolerable. There is a brabble between many and their lusts, and in all haste sin must be gone ; but the quarrel is soon taken up, and sin stayeth for all that. Where the enmity is not great, a man's agreement with sin may be soon made. Therefore not only an offence, but a hostile hatred is required, such hating and abhorring as
VER. 163.] SERMONS UPON PSALM CXTX. 185
will not admit of reconciliation. Like the hatred of Amnon to Tarnar, ' The hatred wherewith he hated her was greater than the love where- with he loved her/ 2 Sam. xiii. 35; he hated her with hatred greatly. Did we more strongly dissent from sin, it would not so easily prevail over us. Sin dieth when it dieth in our affections, when our hearts are set against it : ' Get you hence/ Isa. xxx. 22. Get you gone ; be there from henceforth an utter divorce between me and you. This is to hate and abhor.
Use 1. To show us the reason why so many are entangled again in the sins they seemed to renounce and forsake. They have frequently resolved to forsake their sins, but these resolutions have come to no- thing ; they have striven against them, but as a great stone that hath been rolled up hill, it hath returned upon them with the more violence; or as in rowing against the stream, when the tide hath been strong against them, and they have been driven the more back, and therefore are discouraged. Yea, they have prayed, and found little success, and therefore think it is vain to make any further trial. What shall we say then to these ? If the premises were clear, yet the inference and conclusion is wrong and false ; for we are not to measure our duty by the success, but God's injunction. God may do what he please th, but we must do what he hath commanded. Abraham obeyed God, not knowing whither he went, Heb. xi. 8. Peter said unto Christ, ' We have toiled all night, and have caught nothing ; nevertheless at thy command we will cast forth the net.3 Though the first attempt suc- ceed not, yet afterwards sin may be subdued and broken. In natural things we do not sit down with one trial or one endeavour, but after many disappointments pursue our designs till we complete them. A merchant will not leave off for one bad voyage, nor an ambitious man because his first essays were fruitless ; and shall we give over our con- flicts with worldly and fleshly lusts ? That showeth our will is not fixedly bent against them, because we cannot presently subdue them. • He that will be rich/ 1 Tim. vi. 10. If you had such a will to be holy and heavenly.