342 SERMONS UPON ROMANS VI. [SeR. XX.
are long wavering ere they fully resolve. They see all is not well with them, and that they are not in a safe condition to appear before Grod in the judgment, and they have many persuadings of the Spirit of God, and their own consciences reasoning the case with them ; and under these persuasions the mind is under some purpose to take a new course. But these purposes are either for the time to come ; — here- after they will be more strict and holy, but still adjourn and put it off ; — or else they are but half purposes, that reach not to a full resolution ; and therefore, if they make some kind of change, it is by halves ; they are not free from sin, which often returneth, and recovereth its former power and reign in their hearts. But when men are resolved past all contradiction that this shall be their work and scope, to please God, then they do more fully yield themselves to the renewing Spirit, to be sanctified and prepared for God's use. The scales are cast ; righteousness gets the power that sin had before ; the man is new armed with a resolution to cease from sin, and to betake himself to a holy life, whatever it cost him : 1 Peter iv. 1, ' Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same mind ; for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin,' He is resolved to deny the flesh, forsake the world, and ' to cast off the weight that hangeth on him, and the sin that doth so easily beset him, and to run with patience the race that is set before him,' Heb. xii. 1, 2. Good wishes and good purposes will not now serve the turn, but active and serious endeavours : the man hath another work to do, that he may actually forsake the sin which he hath re- nounced.
3. Do not make a light matter of sin, but hate and abhor it. The soul is never truly converted to God till holiness hath our delight and love, and sin our hatred and aversation. When it is hated it is mor- tified. While a man is a servant of sin, he loveth not God nor spiri- tual things, nor the holy ways of God ; but rather there is an opposition to them, and enmity against them in the heart : but when we become the servants of God, the object both of our love and hatred is changed ; we love God, and his people, and his ways ; but then they hate sin sincerely, even ' the garment spotted with the flesh,' Jude 13 ; the very evil actions they do themselves they hate : Eom. vii. 15, ' The evil which I hate, that do I.' Sin may may break out sometimes, but it is contrary to their liking ; but generally this hatred prevents sin, and is a very great help to the forsaking of it ; they are so fallen out with sin that they keep it under : Ps. xcvii. 10, ' Ye that love the Lord, hate evil.' Their hearts are turned from it and against it. Whereaa formerly they lived in fleshly pleasures, their delight is in pleasing God; the main bent of their heart and life is against sin, and their chief design and endeavour is to destroy it. Grace hath taught them that sin, Satan, and the flesh are their deadly enemies, that seek the damna- tion of their soul ; and therefore they deal with them as enemies, and bid defiance to them. Alas ! what ado have we with many to leave a base lust, because they never truly hated it. There is some dislike of their sins for a while ; but when the fit is over, they relapse into them, because there is not an irreconcilable enmity and abhorrency : Isa. xxx. 22, ' Ye shall defile also the covering of thy graven images of silver, and
VeR 21.] SERMONS UPON ROMANS VI. 343
the ornaments of thy molten images of gold ; thou shalt cast them away as a menstmous cloth; thou shalt say unto it, Get thee hence; 'Hosea xiv. 8, 'Ephraim shall say, What have I to do any more with idols? ' Others stand dallying with sin, but cannot leave it.
4. If you would be free from sin, avoid the temptations that lead to it. If ravens or crows be driven away from the carrion, they love to abide within the scent. Those that will play about the cokatrice's hole will surely be bitten ; therefore we ought to fly the occasions and appear- ances of evil : 1 Thes. v. 22, ' Abstain from all appearance of evil.' If men would not be drowned, what do they so near the water's side ? nor wounded, why venture they among enemies ? or meddle with the bait, if they would escape the hook ? Therefore caution is your pre- servative.
5. If you would be free from sin, live unto God. For vivificatioa doth promote mortification, and the sensual life is best cured by the soul's delight in God, and care to please him : Job i. 1, ' Job was per- fect and upright, one that feared God, and eschewed evil.' True grace is an effectual principle, both to produce its own operations and to restrain sin : Prov. xvi. 6, ' By mercy and truth iniquity is purged, and by the fear of the Lord men depart from evil.' Iniquity is purged in a way of sanctification.