[4.] It is idolatry. Primary idolatry is when divine honours are given to any creature. But how is whoredom and uncleanness idol- atry ? Because by it men are addicted to some base thing which they prefer before God. They love brutish pleasures more than Godr 2 Tim. iii. 4, ' Lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God ; ' and for the satisfaction of their lusts are deaf to all God's counsels ; that is our god who is most valued by us, and for whose sake we will do most. Now if men can dispense with God's honour and their duty to
VeR. 5.] SERMONS UPON EPHESIANS V. 217
him for a sense-pleasing and flesh-pleasing life, they will do more for the flesh than they do for God ; therefore the flesh and the belly is. their God. Now how justly are they deprived of salvation who put such a vile scorn upon the great God, our creator and preserver, who prefer the belly and the flesh before him ! All their business is to have their will and pleasure for a wliile ; but how long will they have their will in these things ? Besides, such a base god as they have set. up must needs breed a base spirit ; for every man's temper is as his god is. As the psalmist saith of gross idolaters, Ps. cxxxv. 8, ' They that make them are like unto them ; so is every one that trusteth in them ; ' so it is true of interpretative idolatry ; this idol of carnal pleasure embaseth the spirit, and maketh them unfit for everything that is- worthy, noble, and generous.
[5.] Because they have not that spirit that should fit them and make- them meet for heaven. All the world issue themselves at length into, two places, heaven or hell ; and by the way they have a several sort of spirit that disposeth them to either. The godly and sincere christians have the Spirit of Christ ; it is absolutely and indispensably necessary for them : Piom. viii. 9, ' He that hath not the Spirit of Christ is none of his.' If you have any part in Christ, you are possessed with his- Spirit, which is the earnest of your everlasting abode with him : 2 Cor. i. 22, 'Who hath sealed us, and given us the earnest of his Spirit in our hearts ; ' for he stirreth up heavenly desires and motions, and putteth you upou serious preparations for a better estate. And it is God's- wisdom to put all things in their proper places ; and therefore in time, when they are sufficiently prepared and made meet, he will translate heavenly creatures into heavenly places and mansions, where they shall live with him for ever; for the grossly carnal, such as the whoremongers and unclean are, they are possessed by an unclean spirit, which hurrieth them violently into hell, as he did the swine into the great deep ; and they are making themselves more meet company every day for the devil and his angels.
[6.] This exclusion is so absolute and peremptory that it admits no- exception but that of sincere repentance, which is both a change of heart and life. For the present the exclusion standeth in force against you, like the flaming sword that guarded paradise ; but your case is not remediless, because Christ is an all-sufficient saviour, and his sacrifice for sin so full and valuable that nothing can hinder you from pardon and salvation but your own impenitency and unbelief. Cer- tainly this may be done, for this hath been done after a like sentence- and denunciation, that no whoremongers have inheritance in the king- dom of God : 1 Cor. vi. 11, ' But such were some of you ; but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.' It giveth some hope to a sick man when like deadly diseases have been cured. Surely an ocean can cleanse one nasty sink, and an emperor's revenue can pay a beggar' s- debt. Your case is foul, but it admitteth of this change ; and if you yield to it at last, you may be accepted at last, after all your great and heinous sins. The covenant of grace doth promise pardon and salvation to every penitent believer whenever they truly turn to God, without excepting any ])er.son in the world ; only you must look that your
218 SERMONS UPON EPHESIANS V. [SeR. V,
repentance be sincere, and that there be a thornngh change of heart and life. No other repentance is true but a quitting and leaving these sins before they leave us. Three things are aj)t to deceive you —
(1.) Some trouble for these sins while you go on still to commit them. There is no question but conscience will smite when tlie sin is past, and the fog that blinded the mind begins to be dissipated, and reason recovereth the throne again ; it will pierce the heart with sharp reflections because appetite and lust have been preferred before it. All unclean persons are not past feeling, nor have gotten the victory of conscience ; but though the soul be scourged with some remorse, yet as often as the temptation returneth they are still carried away, as marsh land is drowned with the return of every tide. Therefore in repentance it is not enough that there be sorrow for the sin, but there must be a forsaking and leaving of it : Prov. xxviii. 13, ' Whoso con- fesseth and forsaketh his sins shall find mercy.' These great and heinous sins must be forsaken, or else we are wicked men. Ahab wept for Naboth, 1 Kings xxi. 29, yet afterwards imprisoned Micaiah. Saul with tears confesseth his injustice to David, yet continueth to persecute him, 1 Sam. xxiv, 16, and xxvi. 2. There is repenting and sorrowing for sin in hell. The repentance is never sound till the heart be so turned from sin that it may be turned against it. If we have smarted for eating forbidden fruit, we must meddle no more: Ps. li. 6, * In the hidden part shalt thou make me to know wisdom.' Broken bones must make us wary and cautious.