2. A man may forsake sin, yet not have a pure heart; it is a great matter I confess to forsake sin; so dear is sin to men, that they will part with the fruit of their body for the sin of their souls†.* Sin is the Delilah that doth bewitch, and it is much to see men divorced from it; this is some fruit of the Ministry to civilize; but there may be a forsaking of sin, yet no heart-purity; sin may be forsaken upon wrong principles. 1. From Morality. Moral Arguments may suppress sin: I have read of a debauched Heathen, who hearing Socrates read an Ethic Lecture of Virtue and Vice, (though he came with a purpose to deride Socrates, yet) he went away changed, and did no more follow his former Exorbitancies. Cato, Seneca, Aristides, seeing a beauty in Virtue, did lead unblameable lives. 2. From Policy. A man may forsake sin, not out of respect to Gods glory, but his own credit. Vice will waste his Estate, eclipse the honour of his Family, therefore out of policy he will divorce his sin. 3. From Necessity. Perhaps he can now follow the Trade of sin no longer; the Adulterer is grown old, the Drunkard poor; his heart is to sin, but either his purse fails him, or his strength; as a man that loves Hunting, but his Prison-fetters will not suffer him to follow the sport. This man who is necessitated to put a stop to sin, doth not so much forsake sin, as sin forsakes him.
2. A man may forsake sin, yet not have a pure heart; it is a great matter I confess to forsake sin; so dear is sin to men, that they will part with the fruit of their body for the sin of their souls†.* Sin is the Dalilah that doth bewitch, and it is much to see men divorced from it; this is some fruit of the Ministry to civilize; but there may be a forsaking of sin, yet no heart-purity; sin may be forsaken upon wrong principles. 1. From Morality. Moral Arguments may suppress sin: I have read of a debauched Heathen, who hearing Socrates read an Ethick Lecture of Vertue and Vice, (though he came with a purpose to deride Socrates, yet) he went away changed, and did no more follow his former Exorbitancies. Cato, Seneca, Aristides, seeing a beauty in Vertue, did lead unblameable lives. 2. From Policy. A man may forsake sin, not out of respect to Gods glory, but his own credit. Vice will waste his Estate, eclipse the honour of his Family, therefore out of policy he will divorce his sin. 3. From Necessity. Perhaps he can now follow the Trade of sin no longer; the Adulterer is grown old, the Drunkard poor; his heart is to sin, but either his purse fails him, or his strength; as a man that loves Hunting, but his Prison-fetters will not suffer him to follow the sport. This man who is necessitated to put a stop to sin, doth not so much forsake sin, as sin forsakes him.
- *Micah 6.7.
