[SERM. then those Darling Sins are our right Eye, or right Hand, because of the great Love we have for them.

(2.) These Beloved Sins are like a right Eye or right Hand, in regard of their seeming fo neceffary to us that we cannot live without them. Predominant Sins are often spared on this very Account, that Men think it is impoffible for them to be without them: They are a neceffary and intimate Part of themselves, as it were, like the most neceffary Members of the Body; and therefore they never think of getting rid of them. But granting that they were fuch, our Saviour advifes the cutting them off for all that, as we take off a gangren'd Member to fave the rest of the Body.

Thus we fee in what refpect these Beloved Predominant Sins may be compared to a right Eye, or right Hand.

2. I proceed, as I propofed, to shew how apt our Affections to them are to offend us, that is, to lead us into finful Courfes. There is nothing more plain than this by conftant Experience: Our Inclination to Beloved Sins is like a Byafs, which infenfibly inclines us to the fide of thefe Sins, whenever the leaft Opportunity prefents. Take a Covetous Man for Example, I mean, a Man whofe Heart is wedded to the World, who has that for his Beloved Predominant Sin; and it is eafy to obferve how it is continually enfnaring him in evil Practices. It tempts him to the neglect of Charity, Generofity, and Gratitude; and inclines him to all the Peevifh, Anxious, Penurious, and even unjust ways of dealing with his Neighbours; with himself, and Wife, and Children, and

nay

Servants.

Servants. The firft Thoughts that come into his Mind upon every Thing he fets about, are, what he fhall get by it; and if he finds nothing to be got, though there be ever fo much good to be done, it is moft probable he will utterly neglect that Business; and if it be any thing that not only brings him no profit, but puts him to charge, it is a thousand to one, if any profpect of doing good will tempt him to it; whatever the fhame of the World, or the fear that it may turn to his prejudice in other Refpects may do. What I have faid of Covetoufnefs is true of Ambition, of Luft, and all other Beloved Sins; they are continually feducing Men from their Duty, and betraying them into numberless Sins of Omiflion, and Commiffion, according to the Quality and Nature of them.

3. The third Thing then I am to confider is, how we are to pluck out this right Eye, and cut off this right Hand; that is, how we are to break the force of thefe Darling Sins, that they may no longer prove Snares to lead us to Deftruction. In fpeaking to this, I propofe to do thefe Three Things.

(1.) To fhew the Poffibility of Conquering Darling Sins.

(2.) To acknowledge the Difficulty, and to confider the Caufes of it.

(3-) To offer fome Advices to facilitate this Matter.

(1.) First, I am to fhew the Poffibility of Conquering darling Sins. If it were fimply impoffi ble to conquer beloved Sins, God would never require it of us, and that under Pain of Damnation; for this would be exceeding Derogatory,

T 3

both

both to the Wisdom of God, in making Salvation to depend upon impoffible Conditions; and to the Juftice of God, in punishing Men for what it was impoffible for them with their utmost Endeavours to help; and above all to the Goodnefs and Mercy of God, in requiring fo very hard and impoffible Tafks of Men. For I take it for granted, what I believe none will offer to deny, that God requires us to forfake all Sin, particularly Darling Sins, upon Pain of eternal Damnation, fo as I need not be at the pains to prove it. And as we have a strong Argument for this from the Nature of God, who must be supposed to require nothing of us, but what with the help of his Grace is Poffible to be complyed with; fo the many Examples of great Sinners of all forts, who by the Grace of God have been reclaimed both of old, and of late, is a plain Demonstration of the Poffibility of the Thing.

(2.) But Secondly; it must be acknowledged very difficult, and that for the following Reafons. 1. To make a Darling Sin, we must fuppofe a great Propenfity of corrupt Nature; and to rectify Nature, it must be owned to be very difficult. 2. This Propenfity is to be fuppofed to be confirmed by a vitious Courfe or Habit, and fo to have become Customary; and Custom we know is a Second Nature; and the difficulty of breaking it off is compared to fome natural Impoffibilities, (a) Can the Ethiopian change his Skin, or the Leopard his Spots? Then may ye alfo do good that are accustomed to do Evil. And though the Difficulty

(a) Jer. xiii. 23.

or Impoffibility here spoken of, is to be understood only as to Man's Endeavour, not God's; as our Saviour faid in another cafe, with Men this is impoffible, but with God all Things are poffible; yet really there is fomething in the nature of Evil Habits, which makes them exceeding Difficult to be overcome beyond other Habits; for all endea vours of that nature, are like Rowing against the Stream; or like Rolling of an heavy round Stone up Hill: If ever we remit of our care, it rolls Impetuously down again; and we have all our Work to begin anew. Befides, The Pain, and Trouble, and Self-denial of it, is, literally, like the Pulling out of an Eye, or the Cutting off of an Hand. And yet after all it must be attempted, and perfected too, upon no less Pain than that of being caft into Hell, as my Text faith. And this leads me to

(3.) The Laft Thing I propofed; namely, to offer fome Advices to facilitate this Matter, and I fhall have done.

1. The First Advice is, to be fully perfuaded of the Neceffity of parting with our beloved Sins, under the pain of our eternal and final Destruction. There is nothing has more kept Men from using Vigorous Endeavours this way, I mean against their Predominant Sins, than that they have fed themfelves with falfe Hopes of being fafe without it. In the Church of Rome, by Confeffion to a Priest, and obtaining his Abfolution, and complying with fome flight Penances, they hope to obtain Pardon of Almighty God, though they never forfake their beloved Sins. Many among our felves have fuch flight Notions of Repentance, that a bare Sorrow for Sin, without Amendment, paffes for it, which

Ꭲ 4

if

if joined with fome warmth of Devotion, and flight Refolutions of Amendment, they think enough. Some are willing to Compenfate for the fe Sins, by doing of Alms Deeds, and Compounding the Matter as it were fome other Way. But all this is daubing with untempered Mortar; there is no fuch Thing as true Repentance, except we actually break off our Sins by Righteoufnefs. The reft is all but fome Imperfect beginning of Repentance: Sorrows, and Refolutions, and Wifhes of Amendment; nay, faint Aiming at it, and feeble Endeavours after it, are far fhort of Repentance itself, which is a thorough Change of Heart and Life. It is called (a) Repentance from dead Works; which fhews us, that if the Heart and Mind are ever so much Changed, unlefs our Sins are actually forfaken, it is no true Repentance. Let this then be believed as an Infallible Principle in the first Place; that there is no getting to Heaven while we continue in the Practice of these our Darling Sins.

12. Let us believe, that the longer we indulge our felves in Vitious Practices, fo much the harder it will be to get rid of them. And therefore the fooner we begin, and the more diligently we hold on, our Succefs will be fo much the furer.

3. Let us firmly believe, that there is no Impoffibility in overcoming our moft Favourite Sins. That it is very Difficult, I will grant; nay, Impof fible purely by our own Strength; but there is nothing Impoffible unto God; and we shall be able to do all Things, as the Apostle fays, through

(a) Heb. vi. I.