A man may withdraw himself from sin,1 he may give it over, he may seem to be divorced from it, and yet he may have a months mind after it, he may do with it still, as the husband of Michall, when she was taken from him, yet, saith the Text, he came weeping after her a far off, he longed after her still, and loved her still; So a man may part with his sin after such a manner, that still he goes weeping after it, he would have it again, he would fain enjoy it, if it were not for some greater danger, or some greater trouble that he exposeth himself unto; as you see in Phaltiel, it was not for want of love to his wife, that he parted with her, but it was out of a desire he had to save himself, to escape the danger of the Kings wrath, imprisonment, and death, that would have followed upon it. Therefore consider what hatred you have of sin, and by that you must judge whether you have a clean disposition or no. You must not think any man is perfectly clean, and pure, but he is a clean man, that suffers not any impurity to take quiet possession of his heart, although he have unclean thoughts and unclean affections (as all sinful thoughts and affections are) though sin may pass through his heart, as they passed through the Temple, yet he suffereth it not to set up Tables in the Temple, to set up an Idol in his heart, he suffereth it not to make any breach of Covenant with God, to be adulterous against him; though there may be many glances, some adulterous and unclean actions, that is not the thing that breaks the Covenant, when ⟨p. 34⟩the heart is still wedded to God, and chooseth God, and no other. And therefore, I say, in that it is not seen, but consider what thy disposition is, whether thou hate that sin all the while. A man that is of an impure spirit, of an impure heart, when he is with impure company, when he delights himself with impure thoughts, then he is where he would be, he is then in his own element, and when he is otherwise, he is where he would not be▪ On the other side, he that hath an habitual disposition of pureness and cleanness, though he may be transported to those acts of sin and pollution, yet his heart hates it, he is not where he would be all the while, he is not upon his own centre, his heart still fights against it, and resists it;
A man may withdraw himselfe from sinne,1 he may giue it over, he may seeme to be divorced from it, and yet he may haue a monthes mind after it, he may doe with it still, as the husband of Michall, when shee was taken from him, yet, sayth the Text, he came weeping after her a far off, he longed after her still, and loved her still; So a man may part with his sinne after such a manner, that still he goes weeping after it, he would haue it againe, he would faine inioy it, if it were not for some greater danger, or some greater trouble that he exposeth himselfe vnto; as you see in Phaltiel, it was not for want of loue to his wife, that he parted with her, but it was out of a desire he had to saue himselfe, to escape the danger of the Kings wrath, imprisonment, and death, that would haue followed vpon it. Therefore consider what hatred you haue of sinne, and by that you must judge whether you haue a cleane disposition or no. You must not thinke any man is perfectly cleane, and pure, but he is a cleane man, that suffers not any impuritie to take quiet possession of his heart, although he haue vncleane thoughts and vncleane affections (as all sinfull thoughts and affections are) though sinne may passe through his heart, as they passed through the Temple, yet he suffereth it not to set vp Tables in the Temple, to set vp an Idoll in his heart, he suffereth it not to make any breach of Covenant with God, to be adulterous against him; though there may be many glances, some adulterous and vncleane actions, that is not the thing that breakes the Covenant, when ⟨p. 34⟩the heart is still wedded to God, and chooseth God, and no other. And therefore, I say, in that it is not seene, but consider what thy disposition is, whether thou hate that sinne all the while. A man that is of an impure spirit, of an impure heart, when he is with impure company, when he delights himselfe with impure thoughts, then he is where he would be, he is then in his owne element, and when he is otherwise, he is where he would not be▪ On the other side, he that hath an habituall disposition of purenesse and cleannesse, though he may be transported to those acts of sinne and pollution, yet his heart hates it, he is not where he would be all the while, he is not vpon his owne center, his heart still fights against it, and resists it;
- 1It is not leaving but hating of sin that showeth purity.It is not leaving but hating of sinne that sheweth puritie.
