6. This vital, contrary, predominant principle against sin is the fruit of a new birth ; and if it be so, there appeareth a shoal of arguments to draw us off from sin, and to press us to avoid sin. I will content myself with two —
[1.] The way by which regeneration is brought about, which is by a deep sight and sense of sin, and the dreadful consequences of it. And surely those that have been acquainted with the pangs of the new birth, will not easily venture upon sin again, as the burnt child dreadeth the fire, or those that have been bitten by playing with a snappish cur will not easily expose their fingers to such danger. You remember what
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sin cost you formerly when you were first reconciled to God, what terror of heart, what tremblings of soul, and how long it was ere you could settle in a holy peace and serenity of mind. Surely we should sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto us. Will you drink again of those bitter waters, and renew the cause of your anguish and sorrow, or taste again of the cold cup of trembling, which filled you with such astonish- ment and fear ? A convinced sinner is filled with his own ways, Prov. i. 31. He hath enough of sin when God sets it home upon his heart. Then he seeth what an evil and bitter thing it is to make bold witli God, Jer. ii. 19, at what a dear rate he bought the pleasures and con- tentments of the flesh: and wilt thou again run this hazard? The Israelites were jealous of setting up a new altar : Josh. xxii. 17, 18, * Is the iniquity of Peor too little for us, from which we are not cleansed until this day (although there were a plague in the congrega- tion of the Lord), but we must turn away again from following the Lord ? ' Alas ! we cannot forget the old scorchings of conscience, and shall we venture once more ?
[2.] The eff"ect of it, which is a settled constitution of heart, acted and discovered either in a way of faith, or hope, and love, and so the seed of God goeth under divers names : 1 Cor. xiii. 13, ' And now abideth faith, hope, charity ; ' 1 Tlies. i. 3, ' Remembering without ceasing your work of faith, and labour of love, and patience of hope ; ' Jude 20, 21, ' But ye beloved, building up yourselves in your most holy faith, keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ.' Now all those graces which constitute and make up the new creature give us powerful arguments and inducements against sin. Therefore, if we are born of God, we are highly concerned not to sin against him.
(1.) Faitli maketh use of the whole christian doctrine to purify the heart, Acts xv. 9, or cleanse it from sin ; especially that of redemption by Christ : 1 John iii. 5, 8, 'And he was manifested to take away sin. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.' And the eternal recompenses : when sin sets the bait before you, faith sets heaven and hell before you ; heaven to sweeten the ways of God, and make them more easy to us, that we may be constant in them : Rom. viii. 13, ' If ye live after the flesh, ye shall die, but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.' Hell to deter and frighten you from sin. When the flesh showeth you the bait, faith showeth you the hook ; and so take all together, the beginning and the end, you will have little stomach to sin. When you consider how many are sufi'ering for those sins which you are now tempted to commit, dare you venture ? Wiiat ! upon the ever- lasting burnings, into which every one is cast, whosoever maketh a lie, or giveth way to his lusts, and filthy excess ?
(2.) Love, which is the weight that inclineth and poiseth us to God, and so by consequence to hate sin : Ps. xcvii. 10, ' Ye that love the Lord hate evil.' Which is the great overruling principle which levelleth our actions to his glory, and directeth them according to his will : 2 Cor. v. 14, 15, ' For the love of Christ constraineth us, because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead. And that
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he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him who died for them, and rose again.' Sin is not only impertinent, but inconsistent with our great end.
(3.) Hope, which looketh and waiteth that we may see God, and be like him : 1 John iii, 3, ' He that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, as Chiist is pure.' What! look for these things, and live so contrary to them ? If this be the effect of the new birth, surely it concerneth us to mortify and avoid sin.