452 THE FILTH OF SIN PURGED [BOOK IV.
thus far wise. And in the use of the means before prescribed, con- sidering his own darkness and the treacheries of his heart, he is to pray fervently that God by his Spirit would guide and assist him in his search after the pravity and defilement of his nature. With- out this he will never make any great or useful discoveries. And yet the discerning hereof is the first evidence that a man hath re- ceived the least ray of supernatural light. The light of a natural conscience will convince men of, and reprove them for, actual sins as to their guilt, Rom. ii. 14, 15; but the mere light of nature is dark and confused about its own confusion. Some of the old philosophers discerned, in general, that our nature was disordered, and complained thereof; but as the principal reason of their complaints was because it would not throughout serve the ends of their ambition, so of the causes and nature of it, with respect unto God and our eternal con- dition, they knew nothing of it at all. Nor is it discerned but by a supernatural light, proceeding immediately from the Spirit of God. If any, therefore, have a heart or wisdom to know their own pollu- tion by sin, — without which they know nothing of themselves unto any purpose, — let them pray for that directing light of the Spirit of God, without which they can never attain to any useful knowledge of it.
2. Those who would indeed be purged from the pollution of sin must endeavour to be affected with it, suitably to the discovery which they have made of it. And as the proper effect of the guilt of sin is fear, so the proper effect of the filth of sin is shame. No man who hath read the Scriptures can be ignorant how frequently God calls on men to be ashamed and confounded in themselves for the pollutions and uncleannesses of their sin. So is it expressed in answer unto what he requires : "O my God, I am ashamed and blush to lift up my face to thee, my God, for our iniquities are increased over our head," Ezra ix. 6. And by another prophet: " We lie down in our shame, and our confusion covereth us: for we have sinned against the Loed our God," Jer. iii. 25. And many other such expressions are there of this affec- tion of the mind with respect unto the pollution of sin. But we must observe that there is a twofold shame with respect unto it: — (1.) That which is legal, or the product of a mere legal conviction of sin. Such was that in Adam, immediately after his fall; and such is that which God so frequently calls open and profligate sinners unto, — a shame accompanied with dread and terror, and from which the sinner hath no relief, unless in such sorry evasions as our first parents made use of And, (2.) There is a shame which is evangelical, aris- ing from a mixed apprehension of the vileness of sin and the riches of God's grace in the joardon and purifying of it; for although this latter gives relief against all terrifying, discouraging effects of shame,
CHAP, v.] BY THE SPIRIT AND BLOOD OF CHRIST. 453
yet it increaseth those which tend to genuine self-abasement and ab- horrency. And this God still requires to abide in us, as that which tends to the advancement of his grace in our hearts. This is fully ex- pressed by the prophet Ezekiel, chap. xvi. 60-63, "I will remember my covenant with thee in the days of thy youth, and I will establish unto thee an everlasting covenant. Then thou shalt remember thy ways, and be ashamed. And I will establish my covenant with thee; and thou shalt know that I am the Lord: that thou may est remember, and be confounded, and never open thy mouth any more because of thy shame, when I am pacified toward thee for all that thou hast done, saith the Lord GoD." There is a shame and confusion of face for sin that is a consequent, yea, an effect of God's renewing his covenant, and thereby giving in the full pardon of sin, as being pa- cified. And the apostle asks the Romans what fruit they had in those things whereof they were now ashamed, chap. vi. 21. Now, after the pardon of them they were yet ashamed, from the consider- ation of their filth and vileness. But it is shame in the first sense that I here intend, as antecedent unto the first purification of our natures. This may be thought to be in all men; but it is plainly otherwise, and men are not at all ashamed of their sins, which they manifest in various degrees : for, —
(1.) Many are senseless and stupid. No instruction, nothing that befalls them, will fix any real shame upon them. Of some particular facts they may be ashamed, but for any thing in their natures, they slight and despise it. If they can but preserve themselves from the known guilt of such sins as are punishable amongst men, as to all other things they are secure. This is the condition of the generality of men living in sin in this world. They have no inward shame for any thing between God and their souls, especially not for the pravity and defilement of their natures, no, although they hear the doctrine of it never so frequently. What may outwardly befall them that is shameful, they are concerned in ; but for their internal pollutions be- tween God and their souls, they know none.