Now that the soul
doth thus entertain sin, is manifest by these several particulars—
(1.) It hath admitted
it with complacence and delight into every chamber of the soul; I mean, it has
been delightfully admitted to entertainment by all the powers or faculties
of the soul. The soul hath chosen it rather than God: it also, at God's
command, refused to let it go; yea, it chooses that doctrine, and loveth it
best, since it must have a doctrine, that has most of sin and baseness in it
(Isa 65:12; 66:3). They 'say to the seers, See not; and to the prophets,
Prophesy not unto us right things, speak unto us smooth things, prophesy
deceits' (Isa 30:10). These are signs that the soul with liking hath
entertained sin; and if there be at any time, as indeed there is, a warrant
issued out from the mouth of God to apprehend, to condemn, and mortify sin, why
then,
(2.) These shifts the
souls of sinners do presently make for the saving of sin from those things that
by the Word men are commanded to do unto it—
(a) They will, if
possible, hide it, and not suffer it to be discovered. 'He that hideth his
sins23 shall not prosper' (Prov 28:13). And again, they hide it, and refuse to
let it go (Job 20:12,13). This is an evident sign that the soul has a favor
for sin and that with liking it, entertains it.
(b) As it will hide
it, so it will excuse it, and plead that this and that piece of wickedness is
no such evil thing; men need not be so nice, and make such a pother24 about it,
calling those that cry out so hotly against it, men more nice than wise. Hence
the prophets of old used to be called madmen, and the world would reply against
their doctrine, Wherein have we been so wearisome to God, and what have we
spoken so much against Him? (Mal 1:6,7; 3:8,13).
(c) As the soul will
do this, so to save sin, it will cover it with names of virtue, either moral or
civil; and of this God greatly complains, yea, breaks into anger for this,
saying, 'Woe to them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for
light, and light for darkness; and put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter'
(Isa 5:20)!
(d) If convictions
and discovery of sin be so strong and so plain, that the soul cannot deny but
that it is sin, and that God is offended therewith; then it will give
flattering promises to God that it will indeed put it away; but yet it will
prefix a time that shall be long first, if it also then at all performs it,
saying, Yet a little sleep, yet a little slumber, yet a little folding of sin
in mine arms, till I am older, till I am richer, till I have had more of the
sweetness and the delights of sin. Thus, 'their soul delighteth in their
abominations' (Isa 66:3).
(e) If God yet
pursues, and will see whether this promise of putting sin out of doors shall be
fulfilled by the soul, why then, it will be partial in God's law; it will put
away some, and keep some; put away the grossest, and keep the finest; put away
those that can best be spared, and keep the most profitable for help at a
pinch (Mal 2:9).
(f) Yes, if all sin
must be abandoned, or the soul shall have no rest, why then, the soul and sin
will part (with such a parting as it is), even as Phaltiel parted with David's
wife, with an ill will and a sorrowful mind; or as Orpha left her mother, with
a kiss (2 Sam 3:16; Ruth 1:14).
(g) And if at any
time they can, or shall, meet with each other again, and nobody never the
wiser, O, what courting will be betwixt sin and the soul? And this is called
doing things in the dark (Eze 8:12).
By all these, and many more things that might be instanced, it is manifest that sin has a friendly entertainment by the soul and that therefore the soul is guilty of damnation; for what do all these things argue, but that God, His Word, His ways, and graces, are out of favor with the soul, and that sin and Satan are its only pleasant companions? But,
