Thus it is with sin. There is a man that is plagued with many
sins, perhaps because he embraceth one; well, let him turn that one
out of doors, and that is the way to be rid of the rest. Keep thee
from thy darling, thy bosom, thy constitution-sin.
Among the motives to prevail with thee to fall in with this
exhortation, are,
1. There can no great change appear in thee, make what profession of
Christ thou wilt, unless thou cast away thy bosom sin. A man's
constitution-sin is, as I may call it, his visible sin; it is that
by which his neighbors know him and describe him, whether it be
pride, covetousness, lightness, or the like. Now, if these abide
with thee, though thou shouldst be much reformed in thy notions and
in other parts of thy life, yet say thy neighbors, "He is the same
man still: his faith has not saved him from his darling. He was
proud before, and is proud still; was covetous before, and is
covetous still; was light and wanton before, and is so still; he is
the same man, though he has got a new mouth." But now, if thy
constitution-sin be parted with, if thy darling be cast way, thy
conversion is apparent; it is seen of all; for the casting away of
that is death to the rest, and ordinarily makes a change throughout.
2.
Pages:
267
268
269
270
271
272
273
274
275
276
277
278
279
280
281
282
283
284
285
286
287
288
289
290
291