An exposition with practical observations continued upon the thirty-eighth, thirty-ninth, fortieth, forty-first, and forty-second,…

From the latter words, I will proceed no further.

Note, Secondly; Though a good man may fall often, yet a good man will not take leave to sin often, no nor once.

He will not give himself a liberty to proceed or continue in sin. When he hath sinned once or twice, he does not say, possibly I may sin again, therefore what should I trouble my self about it? who knows how often any man may sin? no, though he knoweth not how often he may sin, yet he will not, give himself liberty to sin, not only, not knowingly, but not at all, once more; but saith, in the strength of Christ, I will proceed no further, I will do so no more. A gracious heart is so far from taking liberty to sin often, that he takes up a resolve not to sin, and will to the utmost watch against and keep himself pure from sin, especially from his special sin; as David did, who said (Psal. 18.21.) I have kept my self from mine iniquity. As if he had said, There is an iniquity, which dogs me, and follows me, a sin, which easily besets me; but I have kept my self, to the utmost of my power, from falling into that iniquity. And, I say, though a good man may multiply iniquity, yet woe to those ⟨p. 525⟩who give themselves scope to multiply iniquity, or to commit any one iniquity. The voice of true repentance is this, I will sin no more. Though I deny not, but a man, who hath truly repented of some particular sin, and sincerely purposed not to commit it any more, may (being over-powered by corruption and temptation) be overtaken with the same sin again; yet the voice of true repentance is this, and thus the penitent soul speaks in truth, I will sin no more, I will proceed no further.