Of the Mortification of Sin in Believers

(1) Of the Guilt of it. It is one of the Deceits of a prevailing Lust, to extenuate its ⟨p. 101⟩own Guilt. Is it not a little one? When I go and bow my self in the House of Rimmon, God be merciful to me in This thing. Though this be bad, yet it is not so bad as such and such an Evil, others of the People of God have had such a Frame; yea what dreadful Actual sins have some of them fallen into! Innumerable ways there are whereby Sin diverts the Mind from a right and due Apprehension of its Guilt. Its noisome Exhalations darken the Mind, that it cannot make a right Judgment of things; Perplexing Reasonings, extenuating Promises, tumultuating Desires, treacherous Purposes of relinquishment, hopes of Mercy; all have a share in disturbing the Mind, in its Consideration of the Guilt of a prevailing Lust. The Prophet tells us, that Lust will do thus wholly, when it comes to the height: Hos. 4.11. Whoredom and Wine and new Wine take away the heart: The Heart, (i.e.) the understanding, as it is often used in the Scripture. And as they accomplish this work to the height in unregenerate Persons, so in part in rege•• rate also. Solomon tells you of him who was enticed by the lewd Woman, that he was among the simple ones, he was a young man void of understanding, Prov. 7.7. And wherein did his folly appear? Why says he, in the 23d vers. He knew not that it was for his Life; He considered not the Guilt of the Evil that he was ⟨p. 102⟩involved in. And the Lord rendering a Reason why his dealings with Ephraim took no better Effect, gives this Account: Ephraim is like a silly Dove without heart, Hos. 7.11. had no understanding of his own miserable Condition. Had it been possible that David should have lain so long in the Guilt of that abominable Sin, but that he had innumerable corrupt Reasonings, hindering him from taking a clear View of its Ugliness and Guilt in the Glass of the Law? This made the Prophet that was sent for his awaking, in his dealings with him, to shut up all subterfuges and Pretences, by his Parable; that so he might fall fully under a sense of the Guilt of it. This is the proper issue of Lust in the heart, it darkens the Mind that it shall not judge aright of its Guilt; And many other Ways it hath for its own Extenuation, that I shall not now insist on. Let this then be the first care of him that would mortify Sin, to fix a right Judgement of its Guilt in his Mind.