2. Descend to particulars. As under the general head of the gospel all the benefits of it are to be considered, as redemption, justi- fication, and the like ; so, in particular, consider the management of the love of them towards thine own soul, for the aggravation of the guilt of thy corruption. As, —
(L) Consider the infinite patience and forbearance of God to- wards thee in particular. Consider what advantages he might have taken against thee, to have made thee a shame and a reproach in this world, and an object of wrath for ever; how thou liast dealt
THE CONSCIENCE TO BE CHARGED WITH SIN. 59
treacherously and falsely with hun from time to time, flattered hini Avith thy lips, but broken all promises and engagements, and that by the means of that sin thou art now in pui'suit of; and yet he hath spared thee from time to time, although thou seemest boldly to have put it to the trial how long he could hold out. And wilt thou yet sin against him? wilt thou yet weary him, and make him to serve with thy corn^ptions?
Hast thou not often been ready to conclude thyself, that it was utterly impossible that he should bear any longer with thee; that he Avould cast thee off, and be gracious no more ; that all his forbear- ance was exhausted, and hell and wrath was even ready prepared for thee? and yet, above all thy expectation, he hath returned with visitations of love. And wilt thou yet abide in the provocation of the eyes of his glory ?
(2.) How often hast thou been at the door of being hardened by the deceitfulness of sin, and by the infinite rich grace of God hast been recovered to communion with him again?
Hast thou not found grace decaying ; delight in duties, ordinances, prayer and meditation, vanishing ; inclinations to loose careless walk- ing, thriving ; and they who before were entangled, almost beyond re- covery? Hast thou not found thyself engaged in such ways, societies, companies, and that with delight, as God abhors? And wilt thou ven- ture any more to the brink of hardness ?
(3.) All God's gracious dealings with thee, in providential dispen- sations, deliverances, afflictions, mercies, enjoyments, all ought here to take place. By these, I say, and the like means, load thy con- science ; and leave it not until it be thoroughly affected with the guilt of thy indwelling corruption, until it is sensible of its wound, and lie in the dust before the Lord. Unless this be done to the pur- pose, all other endeavours are to no purpose. Whilst the conscience hath any means to alleviate the guilt of sin, the soul will never vigorously attempt its mortification.
Fourthly. Being thus affected Avith thy sin, in the next place get a constant longing, breathing after deliverance from the jjower of it. Suffer not thy heart one moment to be contented with thy present frame and condition. Longing deskes after any thing, in things natural and civil, are of no value or consideration, any farther but as they incite and stir up the person in Avhom they are to a diligent use of means for the bringing about the thing aimed at. In spiri- tual things it is otherAvise. Longing, breathing, and panting after deliverance is a grace in itself, that hath a mighty poAver to conform the soul into the likeness of the thing longed after. Hence the apostle, describing the repentance and godly sorroAv of the Corin- thians, reckons this as one eminent grace that Avas then set on Avork,
GO MORTIFICATION OF SIN IN BELIEVERS.
"Vehement desire," 2 Cor. vii. 11. And in tliis case of indwelling sin and the power of it, what frame doth he express himself to be in? Rom. vii. 24. His heart breaks out with longinfjs into a most pas.sionate ex^^ression of desire of deliverance. Now, if this be the frame of saints upon the general consideration of indwelling sin, how is it to be heightened and increased when thereunto is added the perplexing rage and power of any particular lust and corruption! Assure thyself, unless thou longest for deliverance thou shalt not have it.
This Avill make the heart watchful for all opportunities of advan- tage against its enemy, and ready to close with any assistances that are afforded for its destruction. Strong desires are the very life of that " praying always" which is enjoined us in all conditions, and in none is more necessary than in this; they set faith and hope on work, and are the soul's moving after the Lord.
Get thy heart, then, into a panting and breathing frame; long, sigh, cry out. You knoAV the example of David ; I shall not need to insist on it.
The FIFTH direction is, —
Consider whether the distemper with which thou art perplexed be not rooted in thy nature, and cherished, fomented, and heightened from thy constitution. A proneness to some sins may doubtless lie in the natural temper and disposition of men. In this case consider, —
1. This is not in the least an extenuation of the guilt of thy sin. Some, with an open profaneness, will ascribe gross enormities to their temper and disposition; and whether others may not relieve them- selves from the pressing guilt of their distempers by the same consi- deration, I know not. It is from the fall, from the original dejorava- tion of our natures, that the fomes and nourishment of any sin abides in our natural temper. David reckons his being shapen in iniquity and conception in sin^ as an aggravation of his following sin, not a lessening or extenuation of it. That thou art peculiarly in- clined unto any sinful distemper is but a peculiar breaking out of original lust in thy nature, which should peculiarly abase and humble thee.