I confess it is an Evil thing so to do, and a great Evil: In some respects it may be worser to fall into the same sin, than to fall into others; for this may more wast ones Peace, and destroy the Assurance of Gods Love, sins against Light, do the most darken. Now when we have repented,1 and then fall into that very sin which they repented of, they do sin against Light; yea, it is a kind of repenting of ones Repentance; for as when a man hath gone on i• a sinful way, and doth return unto God, he doth then repent of his sin; so when a man hath gone on in a good way, and doth return to his sin, then he doth as it were repent of his Repentance: when God pardoneth a man, he saith, Go, and sin no more: do I therefore return unto the same sin? then am I most unthankful, dis-ingenuous, and disobedient; yea, it is exceedingly displeasing unto the Lord, for a man to fall into the same sin again, and again; ye shall observe therefore, That although the Lord pardoned the Children of Israel that great sin of Idolatry in the matter of the Golden Calf, yet in reference to the Land of Promise, he did not pardon their Unbelief and murmuring; for they entered not into Canaan; Why? Because of their Unbelief, saith the Apostle. Now if you look into Numb. 14.19. you shall find that Moses prayed, Pardon I beseech thee, O Lord, the iniquity of this People, according to the greatness of thy mercy, and as thou hast forgiven this People from Egypt, even till now: And the Lord said, I have pardoned, according to thy word; But as truly as I live, all the Earth shall be filled with the Glory of the Lord. At ver. 22. Because all these men which have seen my Glory, and my Miracles which I did in Egypt, and in the Wilderness, and have tempted me now these ten times, and have not hearkened to my voice, surely they shall not see the Land, which I sware to give unto their Fathers. Though I pardon them, saith God, they shall never come into Canaan, the Land of Rest that I have promised; Why? Because they have sinned these ten times, murmuring again, and again, and again; so that it is exceedingly displeasing unto the Lord, for a man to fall into the same sin again, and again. But yet I say, it is possible that a good man, and true Disciple of Christ, may fall into the same sin, again, and again: It was a sin for them thus to sleep, when our Saviour had commanded them to watch and pray;
I confess it is an Evil thing so to do, and a great Evil: In some respects it may be worser to fal into the same sin, than to fall into others; for this may more wast ones Peace, and destroy the Assurance of Gods Love, sins against Light, do the most darken. Now when we have repented,1 and then fall into that very sin which they repented of, they do sin against Light; yea, it is a kind of repenting of ones Repentance; for as when a man hath gone on i• a sinful way, and doth return unto God, he doth then repent of his sin; so when a man hath gone on in a good way, and doth return to his sin, then he doth as it were repent of his Repentance: when God pardoneth a man, he saith, Go, and sin no more: do I therefore return unto the same sin? then am I most unthankful, dis-ingenuous, and disobedient; yea, it is exceedingly displeasing unto the Lord, for a man to fal into the same sin again, and again; ye shal observe therefore, That although the Lord pardoned the Children of Israel that great sin of Idolatry in the matter of the Golden Calf, yet in reference to the Land of Promise, he did not pardon their Unbelief and murmuring; for they entered not into Canaan; Why? Because of their Unbelief, saith the Apostle. Now if you look into Numb. 14.19. you shal find that Moses prayed, Pardon I beseech thee, O Lord, the iniquity of this People, according to the greatness of thy mercy, and as thou hast forgiven this People from Egypt, even till now: And the Lord said, I have pardoned, according to thy word; But as truly as I live, all the Earth shall be filled with the Glory of the Lord. At ver. 22. Because all these men which have seen my Glory, and my Miracles which I did in Egypt, and in the Wilderness, and have tempted me now these ten times, and have not hearkened to my voyce, surely they shal not see the Land, which I sware to give unto their Fathers. Though I pardon them, saith God, they shal never come into Canaan, the Land of Rest that I have promised; Why? Because they have sinned these ten times, murmuring again, and again, and again; so that it is exceedingly displeasing unto the Lord, for a man to fal into the same sin again, and again. But yet I say, it is possible that a good man, and true Disciple of Christ, may fal into the same sin, again, and again: It was a sin for them thus to sleep, when our Savior had commanded them to watch and pray;
- 1Lavamini mundi estote, Esa. 1. Lavatur et mundus est, qui et preterrita plangit, et iterum non admittit; lavatur et non est mundus, qui plangit quod gessit, nec descrit, sed post lachrimas stenda, haec quae sleverat, repetit. August. Ser 66. de tempore.
