Dost thou profess the name of Christ, and dost thou pretend to be a
man departing from iniquity? Then take sufficiency of divine
revelation before human reason and speculation, and to acknowledge
with humble gratitude the rich rewards of an earnest and prayerful
study of the English Scriptures. heed thou dost not deceive thyself,
by changing one bad way of sinning for another bad way of sinning.
This was a trick that Israel played of old; for when God's prophets
followed them hard with demands of repentance and reformation, then
they would "gad about to change their ways." Jer. 2: 36. But behold,
they would not change a bad way for a good, but one bad way for
another; hopping as the squirrel from bough to bough, but not
willing to forsake the tree. Many times men change their darling
sins, as some change their servants; that which would serve for such
a one this year, may not serve for the year ensuing. Hypocrisy would
do awhile ago, but now debauchery. Profaneness would do when
profaneness was in fashion, but now a deceitful profession. Take
heed, professor, that thou dost not throw away thy old darling sin
for a new one. Men's tempers alter. Youth is for pride and
wantonness; middle age for cunning and craft; old age for the world
and covetousness. Take heed, therefore, of deceit in this thing.
Dost thou profess the name of Christ, and dost thou pretend to be a
man departing from iniquity? take heed lest thy departing from
iniquity should be but for a time. Some do depart from iniquity, as
persons in wrangling fits depart from one another, to wit, for a
time; but when the quarrel is over, by means of some intercessor
they are reconciled again. Oh, Satan is the intercessor between the
soul and sin; and though the breach between these two may seem to be
irreconcilable, yea, though the soul has sworn it will never more
give countenance to so vile a thing as sin is, yet he can tell how
to make up this difference, and to fetch them back to their vomit
again, who, one would have thought, had quite escaped his sins and
been gone. 2 Pet. 2: 18--22. Take heed, therefore, O professor, for
there is danger of this, and the height of danger lies in it; and I
think that Satan, to do this thing, makes use of those sins again to
begin, this rejoinder, which he findeth most suitable to the temper
and constitution of the sinner. These are, as _I_ may call them, the
master-sins, they suit, they agree with the temper of the soul.
These, as the little end of the wedge, enter with ease, and so make
way for those that come after, with which Satan knows he can rend
the soul in pieces. Wherefore,
To help this, take heed of parleying with thy sins again, when once
thou hast departed from them: sin has a smooth tongue; if thou
hearken to its enchanting language, ten thousand to one but thou art
entangled. Take heed, therefore, of listening to the charms
wherewith sin enchanteth the soul. In this, be like the deaf adder;
stop thine ear, plug it up to sin, and let it only be open to hear
the words of God.