(3.) Against all appearance of evil : 1 Thes. v. 22, ' Abstain from all appearance of evil.' Some things, though not apparently evil, yet they have an ill aspect, as being unsuitable to the gravity of our holy calling, or the strictness of our baptismal vow and covenant made with Christ, or as being things not practised by good men who most seriously mind heavenly things, or have been usually abused to sin, and so are not of good report, to be sure do rather blemish religion than adorn it. Christ's worshippefs should be far from scurrility, lightness, vanity in apparel, words, deeds; and they should avoid all things that look towards a sin. It is notable under the law, that the Nazarite who was not to drink wine was not to eat grapes, moist noi- dry, nor to taste anything that was made of the vine-tree, from the kernels even unto the husk : Numb. vi. 3, 4. A christian that hath consecrated himself to God, and hath made such a full and whole renunciation of all sin, should exactly take care to avoid every occa- sion and provocation to evil, every appearance of evil, not only the pollution of the flesh, but ' the garment spotted with the flesh,' Jude 23.
(4.) Watch to prevent the sin itself. The actual reign of sin maketh way for the habitual. The progress is this ; temptations lead to sin, for
VeR. 14.] SERMONS UPON ROMANS VI. 295
there are few of us but discover more evil upon a trial than ever we thought we should before, as the piercing and broaching of a vessel show- eth what liquor is in it ; and small sins lead to greater, as the small sticks set the greater on fire ; and greater sins lead to hell, except God be the more merciful, and we stop betimes. Well, then, watch against the sin itself, for every foil maketh you suffer loss. Sin cometh to reign by degrees, and a man settleth his neck to the yoke by little and little. It is not easy to fix bounds to sin, when it is once admitted, and given way to. Water, when once it breaketh out, will have its course ; and the gap once made in the conscience will grow wider and wider every day. A little rent in the cloth maketh way for a greater ; so, if we do not take heed of small sins, worse grow upon us. The fear of God and sense of sin is lessened by every sinful act, and conscience loseth. its tenderness, and our feeling decayeth. The best stopping of the stone is at the top of the hill ; when it beginneth to fall downward it is hard to stay it. The deceived heart thinketh, I will yield a little ; and the devil carrieth them further and further, till there is no tender- ness left in the conscience. As in gaming there is a secret witchery, a man will play a little, venture a small sum, but he is wound in more and more and entangled ; so men think it is no great matter to sin a little. A little sin is a sin against God, an offence to him ; and there- fore why do not you make conscience of it ? And it will bring other mischiefs along with it, as it disposeth the heart to sin again.
(5.) Watch against the mischief of heinous or presumptuous sins. When you venture to do any foul thing against apparent checks of conscience, any small sin may get the upper hand of the sinner, and bring him under in time, after it is habituated by long custom, so that he cannot easily shake off the yoke, and redeem himself from the tyranny thereof; but these steal into the soul insensibly, and enslave us, as they get strength by multiplied acts. But presumptuous or heinous sins, by one single act, bring a mighty advantage to the flesh, and weaken the spirit or better part, and advance themselves suddenly into the throne : Ps. xix. 13, ' Keep back thy servant also from pre- sumptuous sins, let them not have dominion over me : then shall I be upright, and I .shall be innocent from the great transgression.' The regenerate, if the Lord do not keep them from temptations, or do leave them in temptations, may fall into most scandalous sins against the light of their consciences, and for the present are under woful slavery and inconvenience. David representeth the utmost mischief of these kinds of sins, as afraid (with the fear of caution) it might tend thereto. Now if a man, nay, a child of God, may possibly fall into scandalous sins, being enticed by the pleasure or profit of them, and for the present be blinded, then, after any heinous fall there should be a special mortification or weakening of sin ; because when we are gotten to that height, sin will break out again in the same or other kind, as a venomous humour in the body, heal one sore, and it breaketh out in another place. After some notable fall or actual rebellion against God, it is good to come in speedily, to prevent hardness of lieart by all holy means, that we.may not settle in an evil course ; it is not enough to ask pardon, to forbear the act, but you nmst mortify the root of the distemper. There are three things in sin — culpa^