Thirdly, Thou presuniest that thou shalt repent at last. It is uncer- tain. God may take thee away in the act of sin, as he did Zimri and Cosbi, Korah and his accomplices, or deny thee space to call for mercy. Death doth not always give warning ; and those that forget God in health may forget themselves when they come to die ; by some apo- plexy, lethargy, or some stupifying disease, may be deprived of all use of reason. If a man were sure to repent, yet it is folly to play the mountebank with our own souls. Who would break his head or wound his body to make all whole again to try the strength of a plaster or sovereign unguent ? or surfeit his body in expectation to remove the
VeR. 13.] SERMONS UPON PSALM XIX. 13. 351
distemper by a vomit ? Better be always sure. But usually God giveth them up to hardness of heart, so as they never repent. There is such a thing as judicial hardness of heart. When God giveth up a sinner to his own counsels, and this is inflicted on those that resist powerful means long vouchsafed : Gen. vi. 3, 'My Spirit shall not always strive with man;' Prov. i. 24, 25, 'Because I have called, and ye refused; I have stretched out my hand, and no man regarded ; but ye have set at nought my counsel, and would none of my reproof.' Therefore for any in the time of youth and health to depend upon the presumption of his repentance hereafter, and therefore defer the forsaking of wilful sins and the known vanities of his life, he doth for the present grieve and resist the Holy Spirit, while he importuneth to be heard and obeyed. God will at length be wearied out, and not so ready to give grace as before ; therefore they run a desperate hazard of growing more wretched, profane, and atheistical every day.
Fourthly, That they shall make amends for a course of sin in one kind by abounding in other duties ; as some that live in uncleanness will be charitable, to excuse or to expiate for the offences of a filthy life; and so make alms a sin-offering, which should be a thank-offering. So some will be just and do no wrong, but shut up their bowels from those that need ; some that mind first-table duties, but are faulty in the second: Ezek. xxxiii. 13, 'If he trust to his own righteousness, and commit iniquity, all his righteousness shall not be remembered, but for his iniquity that he hath committed, he shall die for it.' Upon that account or presumption the apostle taxeth this want of entire and uniform zeal : Eom. ii. 22, ' Thou that abhorrest idols, dost thou com- mit sacrilege ? ' His method would lead to say, Thou that abhorrest idols, dost thou worship idols ? But the Jews' form was a detestation of idols, and yet they were entangled in a crime as enormous. Most men's goodness is but to hide their secret indulgence to some lewd prac- tice or sinful course; to hide it not only from the world, but from their own hearts, that they may sin with greater leave from conscience ; as if our delinquency in some things we affect might be excused by a supererogation in other duties which are not so contrary to us ; as tlie Jews did hope to repair their want of mercy by a multitude of sacrifices; as the stomach, when it hath no solid food, fills itself with wind. But God will be obeyed in all things: Exod. xx. 1, 'God spake all these words.' Not'these words; 'but ' all these words.' The same authority runneth through all the commandments.
Fifthly, Some that think themselves regenerate, and in a state of grace, think their estate will bear them out, so as they need not lay to heart their presumptuous sins with such bitterness and remorse. They are sure to find favour with God.
Ans. But consider, grace doth not make sin less evil. The nature of it is the same both before conversion and after. Sin is the same, as odious to God, as damnable in itself ; yea, in some sense our estate doth aggravate the offence: John vi. G7, 'Will ye go away also?' They that have tasted more of the sweetness of grace, and so have a greater obligation to resist sin, have felt more of the power of grace, and so are more enabled to resist it. But more especially I shall show you the inconveniency and mischief of it to the regenerate, because men presume to sin because their sins can and may stand with grace.
352 SERMONS UPON PSALM XIX. 13. [SeR. II.
1. The sinner is excluded from that degree of favour which before lie enjoyed. There is a twofold love of God — amor henevolentice et complacetitice. God hath a great love to his people, first, in intending us benefits by Christ: Jer. xxxi. 3, ' I have loved thee with an everlast- ing love ; therefore with loving-kindness have 1 drawn thee ; ' and then delighting in what he hath bestowed : Ps. cxlvii. 11, ' The Lord taketli pleasure in them that fear him ; ' Cant. ii. 14, ' Let me see thy counte- nance, let me hear thy voice ; for sweet is thy voice, and thy countenance is comely ; ' Heb. viii. 16, ' For with such sacrifices God is well pleased,' Zeph. iii. 17, ' The Lord thy God in the midst of thee is mighty, he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy, he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing.' The more grace we have, and the more we act it, the more like God, and so more delightful and lovely in his sight. Now as to his love of benevolence and his love of com- placency, in both these respects God's love may be lost as to a great degree.