4. Their corrupt lusts were only restrained, not mortified and weakened, and so it is but like a sore that is skinned over, and festers inwardly, and will at length break out again. This is the case of many : Luke viii. 14, ' That which fell among thorns are they which, when they have heard, go forth, and are choked with cares and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to perfection.' Many an unsound professor seems to cast the world and their old fashions behind their back, yet their hearts are not wholly weaned from them, nor are they wholly cast out ; some prevalent lust remains that will make them turn back to their old vomit again ; so dangerous it is to have Satan
16 SERMONS UPON MARK X. 17-27. [SeR. IX.
only gone out for a while, and not cast out, Luke xi. 24, to have any- thing wherein to delight besides Christ when we close with him, or to have those things which we formerly seemed to slight to seem great and lovely again, and bear bulk in our e3^es. This point is but reductive to this place, therefore I shall not handle it at large.
Use. It dotli press us unto two things — to search for a sound work, and to watch against declinings.
1. To search for a true sound work. "We have need to shift and ransack all the corners of our souls, to see that there be no one reserved lust as a seed of our revolt and apostasy from Christ. One leak let alone will ruin the ship, so will one lust the soul : Ps. cxix. 133, ' Order my steps in thy word, and let not any iniquity have dominion over me.' Whilst any one sin remains unbroken, all that we do in conformity to God will be lost ; and therefore let us search and see, that our love to the ways of God be founded in a complete resignation to his use and service, and a renouncing of every fleshly interest, if we would constantly persevere with Christ. Profession will fail unless there be a good and an honest heart to bear it out ; and what is that but a resolution to make this our great business and interest, to get the love of God in Christ whatever it cost us ? It is not enough to have good offers and inclinations ; one idol left in the heart will estrange us from God : Ezek. xiv. 4-6, ' Every man of the house of Israel that setteth up his idols in his heart, and putteth the stumbling-block of his iniquity before his face, and cometh to the prophet, I the Lord will answer him that cometh according to the multitude of his idols ; that I may take the house of Israel in their own heart, because they are all estranged from me through their idols. Therefore say unto the house of Israel, Thus saith the Lord God, Eepent and turn yourselves from your idols, and turn away your face from all your abominations/ And what is prized besides Christ will be soon prized above Christ ; therefore, unless the sweetness of his grace makes all the baits of the flesh unsavoury to us, we cannot be sound.
2. To watch against declinings, for we lose ground every day, as a thing running down the hill falls lower and lower, if we do not keep up a constant relish and savour of good things. When you lose your first love, you will leave your first works : Eev. ii. 4, 5, ' Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love. Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do thy first works,' We see it is very ordinary for new converts to be carried on with a great measure of affection and zeal, because of the newness of the thing, and the edge upon their affections is not yet l)lunted by change of condition, or multiplicity of business, and the Lord restrains furious temptations, till they be a little confirmed and engaged in his way, and he has a deeper sense of comfort. Now take heed to keep up this, for when this edge is blunted and taken off, a man loses ground. Therefore the apostle saith, Heb. iii. _ 6, ' Whose house are we, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end.' Upon our first acquaintance with Christ there is a mighty joy of heart, and comfort in the hopes of a pardon and of eternal life. Oh ! you must keep up this to the end. If you quite lose your savour, you run into total apostasy ; and if you lose it
VeR. 22.] SERMONS UPON MARK X. 17-27. 17
in part, you grow remiss and lazy. If you have not such delight in •God, you can read and hear the offers of grace and eternal life without any considerable joy and thankfulness, you have not that lively sense you were wont to have ; take heed, you are upon decay.
Doct. 2. That trials bring men forth to the light, and make them manifest what they are.
Here upon the trial the young man is discovered. Who would but have thought this young man good till now ? But when he heard Christ's terms, * he was sad at that saying, and went away grieved." As lime seems cold, and to have no heat and warmth in it, till you pour water upon it, then it burns and smokes, so our corrupt affections lie hid till there be an occasion to try them. Trials are either extraordinary or ordinary. Extraordinary, as that of Abraham : Gen. xxii. 1, ' Audit came to pass after these things that God did tempt Abraham ; ' that is, try him for his discovery, by the command for sacrificing of his son, his only son, the son whom he loved, the son of the promise. So this young man, Christ tries him, * sell all.' But then God's ordinary trial is in the course of his providence or by his word. By his providence, either by affliction : Dan. xi. 35, * And some of them of understanding shall fall, to try them ; ' 1 Peter i. 7, ' That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise ; ' or some other occasion offered to dis- cover either grace or sin, as Joseph was tried by the temptation of his mistress. Or by his word, which doth search and try our hearts, when it pursueth them within, and followeth them home to their consciences : John vi. 60, ' When they heard this, they said, It is a hard saying, who can hear it ? ' They are offended when it toucheth upon a bosom sin, pride, sensuality, or covetousness, or unlawful pleasure, they are tried by it.