A supplement to the several discourses upon various divine subjects

2. 'Tis not for the honour of God to suffer a custom and course of sin in a renewed man. 'Tis true, a renewed man should not voluntarily, nor doth commit willingly even sins of lighter infirmities; but God suffers those, because they do not wound the honour of Christianity, though they discover a remoteness from a state of perfection. But they do not customarily fall into great sins, for it seems not congruous to permit such courses commonly in any one which would disgrace Religion, and make that despicable in the eyes of the world, which God hath designed in all Ages to honour. Since he hath delivered his Son to death, to preserve the honour of his Law; it seems not to consist with his wisdom, to let those who enjoy the fruits of his death, walk in a customary contempt of his Law. Neither can we think that God would permit that in a Believer, which is against the very essence of grace, though he may permit that which is against the beauty and accidental perfection of it.

3. 'Tis against the nature of the Covenant. In the Covenant we are to take God for our God, i. e. for our chief good, and last end. But a course of sin is an adoration of the sinful Object as the chief good, and last end, because a man prefers the creature before God, and loves it supremely, contrary to the will of God. 'Tis essential for one in Covenant with God, to have an high valuation of God and his will. But a custom of known sins evidenceth that there is not a worthy and practical esteem of God. How can any condition of the covenant consist with a constant practice of sin? How can there be faith where the precept is not believed? How can there be love if the pleasure of God be not regarded? How can there be fear if his authority be wilfully contemned? How can there be a new heart when there is nothing but an old frame, and a diabolical nature. 'Tis a renouncing those conditions upon which a right to heaven is founded. For a worker of iniquity walks in those ways which are prohibited upon pain of not entering into that place of glory, and so doth wilfully refuse the acceptance of the conditions on Gods part, and the performance of the conditions on his own part, which are necessary to Gods glory, and his own interest. 'Tis an invasion of Gods right whereby he refuseth God for his God and Lord, and sets up himself as his own governor, an affecting virtually an equality with God, and independency on him, which in the common nature of sin is virtually the same with that of the Devil, who sinned from the beginning, and therefore a course in sin, one that is born of God doth not continue in. Perhaps the Apostle in the Text might have some such respect upon his opposing the Believers not committing sin to the sin of the Devil from the beginning, viz. such a course of sin whereby a Man declares as the Devil did, that he will be his own governor, as indeed in every course of sin a Man doth practically declare.