(1.) The penitential shame continueth and increaseth imder the greatest assurance of forgiveness, and dieth not when we think we are out of danger ; the other is presently after the commission of sin, and while the guilt reraaineth ; as David grew shy of God, Ps. xxxii. after lie got his discharge, and his sins were pardoned : Ezek xvi. 63, ' That
348 SERMONS UPON ROMANS VI. [SeR. XXL
thou mayest remember and be contbunded, and never open thy mouth any more, because of thy shame, when I am pacified towards thee, for all that thou hast done, saith the Lord God,' There is a dislike of sin when they are upon the surest terms with God.
(2.) The first sort of shame considoreth sin as it damneth or de- stroyeth, not as it defileth ; but the second, as it is an act of filthiness and folly ; of folly, as David, Ps. Ixxiii. 22, ' So foolish was I and ip;norant, I was as a beast before thee ;' of filthiness, Ezra ix. 6, ' 0 my God, I am ashamed, and blush to lift up my face to thee, my God ; for our iniquities have increased over our head, and our trespass is grown up into the heavens.' They loathe sin as sin, because they love holines? as holiness : Ps. cxix. 140, ' Thy word is very pure, therefore thy servant loveth it.' Conscience keepeth its own court, meddleth not but for moral evils, is ashamed not of calamities and infelicities, but crimes or sins, which are hateful to God, and therefore to the new creature ; for it hateth and loveth on God's grounds and reasons.
(3.) The first sort of shame is accompanied with slavish fear, shunneth the presence of God, as Adam did, Gen. iii. 10, ' I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked, and I hid myself ;' or David, Ps. xxxii. 3, 4, 'When I kept silence, my bones waxed old,' &c. The other is accompanied with love, and causeth the godly to come into God's presence, but with self-loathing and reverence : Prov, XXX. 2, ' Surely I am more brutish than any man, and have not the understanding of a man;' Luke xviii. 13, 'The publican standing afar off would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote on his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner.' The one causeth us to hate God, the other to loathe ourselves for our unkindness to him, and unworthy dealing with him. The one is our torment, the other our cure.
(4.) The trouble and shame of hypocrites is because of the world ; the shame of the godly is because of God. Saul was not ashamed of his sin, but ashamed that Samuel should reprove him before the people, 1 Sam. XV. 30. So * the thief is ashamed when he is found,' Jer. ii. 26. But a child of God is ashamed before God, and of sins which the world cannot see : Ps. Ixix. 5, 6, ' 0 God, thou knowest my foolishness, and my sins are not hid from thee. Let not them that wait on thee, O Lord God of Hosts, be ashamed for my sake ; let not those that seek thee be confounded for my sake, 0 God of Israel.' As if he had said, Sure I have just cause to be ashamed, &c.
(5.) The effect showeth a difference ; the true shame quickeneth the soul to more resolution, vigilance, earnest striving against sin ; so that our life, trade, and principal business in the world is to avoid it : Ps. cxix. 6, ' Then shall I not be ashamed, when I have respect unto all thy commandments;' but in the other it prevaileth no further than that they may avoid the present trouble, and get a little ease.
The reasons and causes of this shame : —
(1.) A new and heavenly light to see those things which others see not, and which themselves saw not before: Jer. xxxi. 19, 'Surely after that I was turned, I repented ; and after I was instructed, I smote upon my thigh, I was ashamed ; yea, even confounded, because I did bear the reproach of my youth ;" Rom. vii. 9^ ' I was alive without the command-
VeR. 21.] SERMONS UrON ROMANS VI. 349
nient once, but when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died.' They see more of sin, and more evil in sin than ever they saw before, as light discovers what lay hid before in the dark.
(2.) A lively sense and taste of God's mercy and goodness, of his forbearing mercy, that he did not strike as soon as the offence was committed : Kom. ii. 4, ' The goodness of God leadeth thee to repent- ance ;' redeeming mercy by Christ : 1 John iii. 5, ' Ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins;' covenanting mercy, or the offers of pardon and life in the new covenant : Acts xvii. 30, ' The time of this ignorance God winked at, but now he commandeth all men everywhere to repent ; ' his healing mercy : Tit. iii. 5, ' According to his mercy he saved us, by tlie washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost.' To offend so good a God, or sin against the Lord of love and mercy, is a great crime.