A cabinet of choice jewels, or, A box of precious ointment being a plain…A cabinet of choice jevvels, or, A box of precious ointment being a plain…

Fourthly, The reasons of turning from sin, are universally §4binding to a penitent soul. There are the same reasons and grounds for a penitent man's turning from every sin, as there is for his turning from any one sin. Do you turn from this or that sin, because the Lord has forbid it? why upon the same ground you must turn from every sin,¹ for God has forbid every sin as well as this or that particular sin; there is the same authority forbidding or commanding in all; and if the authority ⟨p. 264⟩of God awes a man from one sin, it will awe him from all. There is one and the same Law-giver in respect of all the commandments; he that gave one commandment gave also another, therefore he that observes one commandment gave in obedience unto God, whose commandment it is, will observe all, because all are his commandments; and he that slights one commandment is guilty of all, because he doth contemn the authority and will of him that gave them all; even in those commands which he doth observe, he hath no respect to the will and authority of him that gave them. Therefore there is no obedience towards God, where there is not an uniform endeavour to please God, as well in one thing as in another. The same God that hath inhibited one sinful act, hath inhibited every sinful act; and therefore he that out of conscience and respect to God's will, and word, and authority; turns from any one sin, or abhors any one sin, he will out of conscience of the same will, and word, and authority, turn from every sin, and abhor every sin, because the same God in his word hath alike forbidden all. O Si•s! how is it possible for a man truly to repent of this or that sin, because 'tis contrary to the Law, will and authority of God, but he must needs repent of whatsoever he knows to be contrary to the Law, will and authority of God. He that turns from any one sin because it is a transgression of the holy and righteous Law of God, he will turn from every sin upon the same account; he that turns from any one sin, because 'tis a dishonour to God, a reproach to Christ, a grief to the Spirit, a wound to Religion, &c. will upon the same grounds turn from every sin; he that turns from any one sin, because of the curse, the threatenings, the judgments, the wrath, the hell that hangs (as it were) over the head of that sin;