One Hundred and Ninety Sermons on Psalm 119

1. The fault is continued when the acts of it are repeated, when we fall into the same sin again and again. Relapses are very dangerous, as a bone often broken in the same place; you are in danger of this, before the breach be well made up between God and you; as Lot doubling his Incest; to venture once and again is very dangerous.

2. The guilt doth continue upon a man till serious and solemn repentance, till we sue out our pardon in the name of Christ. Though a man should forbear the act, never commit it more; yet unless he retracts it by a serious remorse, and humbleth himself before God, and sueth out his pardon in a repenting way, the guilt continues. If we confess (he speaks to believers) then sin is forgiven, not otherwise.

3. There's the macula, the blot, by which the School-men understand an inclination to sin again; the evil influence of the sin continueth until we use serious endeavours to mortify the root of it. When we have been foiled by any lust, that lust must be more mortified. For instance, Jonah he repented for forsaking his call, when he was cast into the Whale's belly; but the sin broke out again, because he did not mortify the root; what was that? his pride. So that it is not enough to bewail the sin, but we must lance the sore, and discover the root and core of it, before all will be well. A man may repent of the eruption of sin, the former act, but the inclination to sin again is not taken off. Judges 16. 2. Sampson loves a woman of Gaza, and she had betrayed him; but by carrying away the Gates of the City, he saves his life; possibly upon that experience he might repent of his folly and inordinate love to that woman, I but the root remains; therefore he falls in love with another woman, with Delilah. Therefore if you would do what is your duty, you must look to the fault, that that be not renewed; the guilt, that that be not continued by omission of repentance; and that the blot also do not remain