The Godly Man's Picture

6. That sin which a man doth most hardly let go his hold of, is the endeared sin: Jacob could of all his sons most hardly part with Benjamin, Gen. 42. 36. Joseph is not, and Simeon is not, and ye will take Benjamin away: So saith the sinner, this and that sin I have parted with, but must Benjamin go, must I part with this delightful sin, that goes to the heart▪ As it is with a Castle that hath several Forts about it, the first and second Fort are taken, but when it comes to the Castle▪ ⟨p. 213⟩the Governor will rather fight and die than yield that: So a man may suffer some of his sins to be demolished, but when it comes to one sin, that is the taking of the Castle, he will never yield to part with that; surely, that is the Master-sin.

6. That sin which a man doth most hardly let go his hold of, is the endeared sin: Iacob could of all his sons most hardly part with Benjamin, Gen. 42. 36. Joseph is not, and Simeon is not, and ye will take Benjamin away: So saith the sinner, this and that sin I have parted with, but must Benjamin go, must I part with this delightful sin, that goes to the heart▪ As it is with a Castle that hath several Forts about it, the first and second Fort are taken, but when it comes to the Castle▪ ⟨p. 213⟩the Governour will rather fight and die than yield that: So a man may suffer some of his sins to be demolished, but when it comes to one sin, that is the taking of the Castle, he will never yield to part with that; surely, that is the Master-sin.

The complexion-sin is a God-provoking sin. The wise men of Troy counselled Priam to send back Helena to the Grecians, not suffering himself to be any longer abused by the Charms of her beauty, because the keeping her within the City, would lay the foundation of a fatal war: So should we put away our Delilah-sin, least it incense the God of heaven, and make him commence a war against us.