One Hundred and Ninety Sermons on Psalm 119

Use 2. If this be the character of a blessed man, To make it our business to avoid sin; Then here's caution to God's people: 1. To beware of all sin. 2. To be very cautious against gross sins, committed against the light of conscience. 3. To beware of continuance in sin.

First, To beware of all sin. The more you have the mark of a blessed man, 1 Joh. 2. 1. These things I write unto you, that you sin not. Though you have a pardon and cleansing by the blood of Christ, though you have an Advocate, yet sin not. Now the motives to set on this Caution, are taken from God, from our selves, from the nature of sin.

1. From God. Sin not; why? because it is an offence to God. Consider how contrary sin is to all the persons in the Trinity. To God the Father as a Lawgiver, being a contempt of his Authority. 1 Joh. 3. 4. Sin is [Greek or Hebrew], a transgression of the Law, that is, an act of disloyalty and rebellion against the Crown of Heaven. Open sin doth as it were proclaim rebellion and war against God; and privy sin is conspiracy against him. All creatures have a Law, Psal. 148. 6. Thou hast set to them a Decree, beyond which they cannot pass. And they are less exorbitant in their motions than we are. It is a greater violation to the Law of Nature for man to sin, than for the Sea to break its bounds. The Creatures have not sense and reason, yet they do not pass beyond the Law which God hath set them. This should prevail with the new creature especially, whose hearts God hath suited to the Law; so that they offer a violence to their own conscience. Take heed of entering into the lists with God, of despising his Authority. Every sin that is committed, slights the Law which forbids it,