away an evil to which we have been long accustomed. A man that has long yielded to fretfulness and impatience will never want occasions whereon to shew the irritability of his mind. A person who has given way to impurity, will contract such a propensity to the indvxlgence of it, that his very " eyes will be full of adultery, and he cannot cease from sin'\" even when there are not before him any objects to call it forth ; his own polluted imagination furnishing him with plenty of fuel for his unhallowed fire. " The backslider in heart," we are told, " shall be filled with his oivn ways*:" from whence we see, that habit gives to our lusts a certain property in us, and to us a certain property in them ; insomuch, that as there is a mutual indwelling between God and the believing soul, so is there also between a sinner and the lusts with which, from habit, he has obtained a more than ordinary familiarity : so true is that declaration of the Apostle, that, whatever be a man's outward temptations, he is, in fact, " drawn away of his own lust, and enticed*^."]
If, from what has been said, we have any insight into our besetting sin, let us proceed to inquire,
II. How far we are able to adopt the language of the Psalmist in relation to it ?
Certainly, we are all deeply interested in this matter. Let me, then, press home upon you the fol- lowing inquiries :
L How far have you discovered your besetting sin ?
[It is surprising to what an extent men in general are blinded in reference to it. All around them see it easily enough, whilst they themselves are strangers to it. All their acquaintance will say. This is a proud man ; that a passionate man; that a covetous man ; that an uncharitable and censorious man ; that a querulous and discontented man. But, however clear men's characteristic infirmities are to others, they are hid from themselves : and in many cases men not only veil their faults under some specious name, but actually take credit to themselves for those very peculiarities as constituting their most distinguishing virtues. The proud man, who for a slight offence will shed the blood of an acquaintance, calls himself a man of honour. The ambitious man, who slaughters thousands and tens of thousands in order to extend his empire, when he has already far more than he knows well how to govern, is
'> 2 Pet. ii. 14. * Prov. xiv. 14. ^ Jam. i, 14.