world, for the least dram of repentance, to be the happiest exchange he could make? Then run not the hazard of losing God, Christ, heaven, and thy soul for ever, by hearkening to this device of Satan, viz. That it is an easy thing to repent,' &c. If it be so easy, why then do wicked men's hearts rise against them that press the doctrine of repentance in the sweetest way, and by the strongest arguments the scripture affords? And why do they kill two at once? The faithful labourer's name, and their own souls, by their wicked words and works, because they are put upon repeating, which Satan tells them is so easy a thing: surely, were repentance so easy, wicked men would not be so much enraged when that doctrine is, by evangelical considerations, pressed upon them. Rem. 5. Consider further, that he who now tempts thee to sin, upon the account that repentance is easy, will, ere long, to bring thee to despair, and forever to destroy thy soul, represent repentance as the most difficult and hardest work in the world; and to this purpose he will set thy sins in order before thee, and make them to say, 'We are thine, and we must follow thee.** * Beda tells us of a certain great man that was admonished in his sickness to repent, who answered, “That he would not repent yet, for if he should recover, his companions would laugh at him; but growing worse, his friends pressed him again to repent, but then he told them it was too late." For now," said he, "I am judged and condemned." Now Satan will tempt the soul to look up, and see God angry; and to look inward, and see conscience accusing and condemning; and to look downwards, and see hell's mouth open to receive the impenitent soul; and all this to render the work of repentance impossible. What! saith Satan, dost thou think that that is easy which the whole power of grace cannot conquer, while we are in this world? Is it easy, saith Satan, to turn from some outward act of sin, to which thou hast been addicted? Dost thou not remember, that thou hast often complained against such and such particular sins, and resolved to leave them, and yet to this hour thou hast, thou canst not? What will it then be to turn from every sin? Yea, to mortify and cut off those sins, those darling lusts, that are as joints and members, that are as right hands and right eyes? Hast thou not loved thy sins above thy Saviour? Hast thou not preferred earth before heaven? Hast thou not all along neglected the means of grace? and despised the exhibitions of grace? and vexed the spirit of grace. There would be no end, if I should set before thee the infinite evils thou hast committed, and the innumerable good services thou hast omitted, and the frequent checks of thy own conscience that thou hast contemned; and therefore thou mayest well conclude, thou canst not, nor ever shall repent. Now, saith Satan, do but consider the number, the greatness, the foulness, the heinousness, and the circumstances of thy F sins, and thou wilt easily see that those sins that thou thoughtest to be but mole-hills, are indeed mountains; and is it not now in vain to repent of them? Surely, saith Satan, if thou shouldest seek repentance and grace with tears, as Esau, thou shalt not find it; thy glass is out, thy sun is set, the door of mercy is shut, the golden sceptre is taken in, and now thou that hast despised mercy, shalt be for ever destroyed by justice ;* for such a wretch as thou art to attempt repentance, is to attempt a thing impossible; it is impossible that thou, who in all thy life could never conquer one sin, should master such a number of sins, which are so near and dear, and so profitable to thee, that have so long bedded and boarded thee, and have been old acquaintance and companions with thee; hast thou not often purposed, promised, vowed, and resolved, to enter upon the practice of repentance, but to this day could never attain it? Surely it is in vain to strive against the stream, where it is so im possible to overcome; thou art lost for ever; to hell thou must, to hell thou shalt go: ah, souls! he that now tempts you to sin, by suggesting to you the easiness of repentance, will, at last, prompt you to despair, and represent repentance as the hardest work in the world; a work as far * Repentance is a work that must be timely done or, men are utterly undone for ever. "Either to repentance or to destruction." above man, as heaven is above hell, as light is above darkness. Oh! that you were wise, to break off your sins by timely repentance. CHAPTER VII. Now the seventh Device that Satan hath to draw the soul to sin, is, BY making the soul bold to venture upon the occasions of sin. Saith Satan, you may walk by the harlot's door, though you will not go into the harlot's bed; you may sit and sip with the drunkard, if you will not be drunk with him; you may look upon Jezebel's beauty, and you may play and toy with Delilah, though you do not commit wickedness with the one nor the other; you may with Achan handle the golden wedge, though you do not steal it, &c.-The remedies against this device of the devil are these: Remedy 1. Solemnly dwell upon those scriptures that expressly command us to avoid the occasions of sin, and the least appearance of evil. 1 Thess. v. 22. Abstain from all appearance of evil;' whatsoever is heterodox, unsound, and unsavory, shun it, as you would a serpent in your way, or poison in your meat. When God had commanded the Jews to abstain from swine's flesh, they would not so much as name it, but in their common talk would call a sow another thing. To abstain from all appearance of evil, is to do nothing wherein sin appears, or which hath a shadow of it. Bernard's gloss here is beautiful, Whatever is of an ill shew, or of ill report, that we may neither wound conscience nor credit:' we must shun, and be shy of the very shadow of sin, if we love either our credit abroad, or our comfort at home. It was good counsel that Livia gave her husband Augustus; It behoveth thee not only to do no wrong, but not to seem to do so,' &c. So Jude 23. And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire, hating even the garments spotted by the flesh.' It is a phrase taken from legal uncleanness, which was contracted by touching the houses, the vessels, the gar-. ments of unclean persons. Under the law, men might not touch a menstrous cloth, nor would God accept of a spotted peace-offering. So we must not only hate, and avoid gross sins, but every thing that may carry a savour, or suspicion of sin; we must abhor the very signs and tokens of it. So in Prov. v. 8. Remove thy way far from her, and come not nigh the door of her house.' He that would not be burnt, must dread the fire; he that would not hear the bell, must not meddle with the rope.* To ven One said, "As oft as I have been among vain men, returned home less a man than I was before." |