Tis true, I confess a man sometime may part with sin without sorrow, the unclean spirit may go out for a time, before he is taken, bound and slain by the power of Christ. But such a kind of parting is but the washing of the cup, tis unsafe and unsound, and the end of such a Christian will be miserable; for a man to hear of his sin, and then to say, Isle do no more so, without any sense or sorrow for it, would not have been approved by Paul, if he had seen no more in the careless Corinthians, in tolerating the incestuous person;1 but their sorrow wrought this repentance. No, the Lord abhors such whorish wiping the lips; and therefore the same Apostle,2 when he reproves them for not separating the sinner, and so the sin from them, he sums it up in one word, You have not mourned, that such a one might be taken from you: because then sin is severed truly from the soul, when sorrow or shame, some sense and feeling of the evil of it, begins it. Not only sin is opposite to God, but when the Lord Jesus first comes near ⟨p. 59⟩his elect in their sinful estate, they are then enemies themselves by sin unto God. And hence it is they will never part with their weapons, until themselves be throughly wounded: and therefore the Lord must wound their consciences, minds and hearts, before they will cast them by. Now if there be no parting with, no separation from sin, but sin is as strong, and the sinners as vile as ever before, hath Christ (who now comes to save his elect from sin) the end of his work? what is the man the better for conviction, affection to Christ, name what you can, that remains still in his sins? When the Apostle would sum up all the misery of men, he doth it in those words,3 Ye are yet in your sin: So I say, thou art convicted, but art yet in thy sin; art affected with Christ, and takest hold of Christ, but art yet in thy sin: He that confesseth and forsaketh his sin, shall find mercy.4
Tis true, I confesse a man sometime may part with sin without sorrow, the uncleane spirit may goe out for a time, before he is taken, bound and slain by the power of Christ. But such a kind of parting is but the washing of the cup, tis unsafe and unsound, and the end of such a Christian wil be miserable; for a man to heare of his sinne, and then to say, Ile doe no more so, without any sense or sorrow for it, would not have been approved by Paul, if he had seen no more in the carelesse Corinthians, in tolerating the incestuous person;1 but their sorrow wrought this repentance. No, the Lord abhors such whorish wiping the lips; and therefore the same Apostle,2 when he reproves them for not separating the sinner, and so the sin from them, he summes it up in one word, You have not mourned, that such a one might be taken from you: because then sin is severed truly from the soule, when sorrow or shame, some sense and feeling of the evill of it, begins it. Not onely sinne is opposite to God, but when the Lord Jesus first comes neare ⟨p. 59⟩his elect in their sinfull estate, they are then enemies themselves by sin unto God. And hence it is they will never part with their weapons, untill themselves be throughly wounded: and therefore the Lord must wound their consciences, minds and hearts, before they will cast them by. Now if there be no parting with, no separation from sin, but sin is as strong, and the sinners as vile as ever before, hath Christ (who now comes to save his elect from sinne) the end of his work? what is the man the better for conviction, affection to Christ, name what you can, that remains still in his sins? When the Apostle would summe up all the misery of men, he doth it in those words,3 Ye are yet in your sinne: So I say, thou art convicted, but art yet in thy sinne; art affected with Christ, and takest hold of Christ, but art yet in thy sin: He that confesseth and forsaketh his sin, shall find mercy.4
- 12 Cor. 7.10
- 21 Cor. 5.2.
- 31 Cor. 15.17.
- 4Pro. 28.13
