296 SERMONS UPON EOMANS VI. [SeR, XV.
reatus, macula. The fault is continued as long as the act is repeated ; you are in danger of this till the breach be made up between God and you ; as Lot doubled his incest, the orifice of the wound was not yet closed ; and Peter doubled and trebled his denials, whilst the temptation was yet upon him, and he had not recovered himself by repentance ; Samson's folly and inordinate love to women twice be- trayed him, Judges xvi. 1-4. The guilt continueth till repentance, and suing out pardon in the name of Jesus Christ : 1 John i. 9, * If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.' Though a man should forbear the act, yet unless he humbleth himself before God, and in a broken- hearted way applieth himself to his mediator and advocate, the guilt is not done away. But besides, there is the blot, or the inclination to sin again ; the evil influence of the sin continues till we mortify the root, and the core of the distemper be gotten out. Take for an instance Jonah, the prophet ; the original reason of his tergiversation from his call was a fear of being ashamed, and found false in those threatenings which he was to denounce in the name of God ; this maketh him run away from his duty, and it cost him dear ; for a tempest pursued him, and he was thrown into the sea, and swallowed up of a whale or great fish. Well, he being disciplined, confesseth his fault, repenteth his forsaking his call, begs pardon, is delivered, addresseth himself to his work. God interposeth by the prerogative of his grace upon the humiliation of the Ninevites, and then Jonah is all in a fury, his old reasons return : Jonah iv. 1, 2, ' Was not this my saying when I was yet in my country ? ' &c. Therefore, it is not enough to bewail or discontinue the sin, but we must lance the sore, mortify the root of the distemper, till all be well. This was the reason of Christ's speech to Peter : John xxi. 15, ' Sinion Peter, lovest thou me more than these ? ' that is, more than the rest of the disciples present. Peter had boasted, Mat. xxvi. 33, ' Though all men be offended because of thee, yet will I never be offended.' Now saitli Christ, ' Lovest thou me more than these ? ' He reflecteth upon his former conceit of himself and singular under- taking. Peter liad wept bitterly for the fact of denying his master ; Christ would try if the cause were removed. The evil of the saints' apostasy and defection will never be cured thoroughly unless the fountain-cause and root of it be cured and continually watched over. His making comparisons and lofty conceit of himself was that which occasioned his former fall ; therefore Christ, to see what he did think of it, and whether it did continue with him, puts him this question. Peter was grown more modest than- to make any comparisons now ; his sad fall taught him sobriety, not to boast of himself beyond others. (6.) You are to watch against evil customs, that you do not lose your tenderness of conscience. Conscience, as the eye, is soon offended. The least dust, if it get into the eye, will pain it ; so will conscience smite for lesser failings and exorbitancies ; but afterwards when you make bold with it, it is like the stomach of the ostricli, which digesteth iron, or like a part or member of the body which is seared with a hot iron, it hath no feeling, 1 Tim. iv. 2 ; or like freezing water, which at first will not bear a pin, but afterwards it freezeth and freezeth, till it bear a cart-load. So men lose their tender sense by frequency of sin-
VeR. 14.] SERMONS UPON ROMANS VI. 297
Ding. Therefore it is some degree of mortification to prevent the custom, and the hardness of heart that comes thereby. When a mem- ber is sprained or out of joint, if you let it alone and delay to set it, it never groweth strong or straight ; so the longer corruption is spared, the worse it groweth, and requirethi more strength. Therefore, at least let not your hearts settle in a course of vanity or disobedience unto God.
(7.) Take heed of your darling sin. We are more tender of one sin than another : ' It is sweet in our mouths, and we hide it under our tongues,' Job xx. 12 ; there is most pleasure and profit in it. This is the sin which is most apt to prevail, and settle into a tyranny in the soul ; and your uprightness is tried by your watching and striving against it : as Ps. xviii. 23, ' I was also upright before him, and I kept myself from mine iniquity : ' Unless we humble ourselves more for this, watch against this, strive against this, it will be our ruin, and prove the ground of our apostasy in a time of temptation. There is some secret vent which all men have for their corruptions, or some postern or back-door by which Satan usually enters. Now this sin should be always in your eye, for the strength of other sins dependeth upon love to this : ' Fight not against small or great, but against the king of Israel,' 1 Kings xxii. 21. You should be most jealous of your hearts, lest they miscarry by this sin, and labour to increase in the contrary grace. He that will not spare his darling, 2 he hateth no sin indeed.