in fin and to walk in fin. (1 Pet. iv. 3. Col iii. 7.) They lead a life of fin, habitually living in fome open or fecret fin, either of omiffion or commiffion. Herein lies one great difference between a wicked and a godly man. A wicked man makes a trade of fin; giving himself up to fome courfe of fin. But this a godly man does not. He may, and does, fin but he does not live in any way of fin; willingly accuftoming himself thereunto. Pfal. cxix. 101. I bave refrained my feet from every evil way.

Queft. 2. What fert of way is fin, unto a wicked man ?

Anfw. i. It is his natural way. A courfe of fin is what he engages in, and follows, by his natural inclination. The dictates of his corrupt nature point out this way to him, to walk in. The curfed principles in his na ture do lead him into this way of fin. The practise of fin, is what he naturally takes to. And hence it is faid of the wicked, that they are eftranged from the womb, they go afray as foon as they be born, fpeaking lies. Pfal. xcviii. 3. They are by nature alienated from the life of God, and difpofed to the life of fin; and fo may rightly be called tranfgreffors from the womb. Ifai. xlviii. 8. And this makes the converfion of a finner to be fo great and difficult a work, which none but God alone can effect. For in order to their being turned out of the way of fin, which is natural to them, their very nature must be changed, and new principles put into them; which ist a work purely divine.

Anfw. 2. It is his chofen way. Sin is what his corrupt will freely and fully clofes with, and makes its choice of. The wicked man does wittingly and knowingly chufe to walk in the way of fin. Hence God fays of his own finful people, that they had chofen their own way, and that in which he delighted not. Ifai. lxvi 3, 4. The way of fin, was the matter of their free choice. And by this choice finners do abide; and therefore are refolved to hold on in the way of fin, notwithstanding the calls

of God to the contrary. Jer. xliv. 16, 17. As for the word that thou baft spoken to us in the name of the Lord, we will not bearken unto thee: bat we will certainly do whatsoever thing goeth forth out of our own mouth, to burn incenfe to the queen of heaven, i. e. the moon. They were refolved upon their idolatries. The will of the finner is fet in him to do evil.

Anfw. 3. It is his beloved way. A wicked man likes and loves the way of fin. Pfal. lii. 3. Thou loveft evil more than good. He has a predominant, prevailing love to fin. The ways of fin are pleasant to him. 2 Pet. ii. 13. They count it pleasure to riot in the day time. Thus God tells his own wicked people, that their foul delighteth in their abominations. Ifai. lxvi. 3. There is nothing fo dear to a finner, as his lufts. They are dear to him, as a right band, or a right eye: nor does he ever find more pleasure, than in the gratification of thefe lufts. Thus for the first Propofition.

PROP. 2. Every wicked man is required to for fake his way of fin, in order to his finding God.-Here two things may be enquired into.

Quest. 1. How must a wicked man forfake his way, in order to find God?

Anfu. 1. He muft forfake it wholly. True reformation, is univerfal reformation. Every way of fin muft be turned from. Ezek. xviii. 30. Repent, and turn yourfelves from all your tranfgreffions, fo iniquity fhall not be your ruin. All fins muft be forfaken. Which does not mean, that we must so forfake fin, as never more to be guilty of any fin, but lead lives altogether finlefs. It is indeed our duty, to abstain from every kind and degree of fin, and from the very appearance of evil. For the law of God, forbids finning at any time, in the least measure, and even the appearance of it. But though this duty, yet 'tis not abfolutely necessary to the enjoyment

If it were neceffary to be finlefs in this world, to falvation, none would ever be faved. For

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the best of men do fin. Eccl. vii. 20. There is not a juft man on earth, who doeth good, and finneth not. Nay, in many things they do all offend. Jam. iii. 2. When therefore it is faid, that the wicked must wholly forfake his way of fin, in order to the finding and enjoying God, it does not mean, that he muft become wholly finless, or free from all actual fins. For this is impoffible in our prefent state. Indeed, it should be our hearty defire, and fincere endeavour, to avoid all fin; yet after all our care, we shall be overtaken with many faults, which will be the matter of our mourning and humiliation, and shall not hinder our enjoyment of God. The total forfaking the way of fin then, here means, a relinquifhing every courfe of fin; the not living in the customary allowed practice of any fin. Though men cannot poffibly avoid all acts of fin, yet they may avoid a courfe and trade of fin. Thus do all converted perfons. Pfal. cxix. 101. I bave refrained my feet from every evil way. Though they do not refrain from every evil at, yet they do from every evil way, or courfe of fin. Though they may be guilty of an act of grofs fin, yet they do not addict themselves to the frequent or ordinary practice of grofs fin, in any kind. Though they were once, in their unregeneracy, habituated to fuch fins, yet they are not fo now. Col. iii. 7, 8. In the which ye also walked fometime, when ye lived in them: but now ye also put off all beje. Such a total forfaking the way of fin, fo as to break off all finful courfes, is neceffary to the enjoying God; as will presently be fhewn.

Anfw. 2. He must forfake it conftantly. The way of fin is to be relinquifhed for ever. Some outwardly forfake fin for a time; but return to it again, when occafion and opportunity prefents itself. These are like the fwine, that are washed clean for a while, but return to their wallowing in the mire. 2 Pet. ii, 22. They take leave of their fins, as men do of their friends, whom they hope to fee and enjoy again. Such meerly temporary reformation of evils, is unfound. True reforma

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tion is lafting and perpetual. He that rightly forfakes every way of fin, abandons it for ever. The language of his foul, is that of Ephraim, What have I to do any more with Idols? Hof. xiv. 8. He will have no more to do with his former ways of fin. Such a perpetual forfaking every way of fin, is neceffary to the enjoying God. Which leads to the other enquiry.

Queft: 2. How does it appear, that this forfaking the way of fin is neceffary to the wicked man's finding and enjoying God?

Anfw. 1. From the boliness of God. The nature of God is infinitely and effentially holy; and therefore will not admit him to hold communion with finners, that are engaged in a way of fin. 1 Job. i. 5, 6. God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. If we fay, that we bave fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth. Light and darkness may as foon have fellowship together, as the holy God and one that walks in any way of fin. God is of purer eyes than to bebold evil, and cannot look upon iniquity. Habb. i. 13. He cannot therefore reveal and make over himself, to fuch as are driving a trade of fin. When God intends to bring home a finner to himfelf, he will first stop him in his finful career, and turn him out of his ways in fin; fo he will meet him, and be found of him. Luk. xv. 20. And be arofe and came to his father; but while he was yet a great way off, his father faw him, and bad compaffion on bim, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kiffed bim. When the finner forfakes his finful ways, and is returning to God, then the holy God will graciously go forth to him, and meet him; and not before. The returning finner, God will receive into his favour; but the refol ved finner, he will caft off forever. 1 Chron xxviii. 9.

Anfw. 2. From the God feparating nature of fin. Sin is of fuch a nature, as to provoke God to withdraw, and keep at a distance from finners. Ifai. lix. 2. Your iniquities bave feparated between you and your God, and your fins bave bid bis face from you. Sin caufes God to de

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part, and hide his face, from finners. And therefore while finners continue in a way of fin, God will not be found of them. They muft forfake this way; or elfe God will continue to forfake them. For he will not dwell in the tents of wickedness.-Again, a way of fin is a way of departing from God. Sin is a fwerving or wandring from God; and leads the finner away from God. While therefore the finner continues in the way of fin, he is going farther and farther from God. Every step that he takes in the way of fin, fets him at a farther diftance from God. A finner therefore cannot come at God in a way of fin. Nay, it is impoffible that he fhould ever find God, unless he forfake the way of fin, and take to another courfe.

APPLICATION.

USE 1. We hence fee, that fuch finners do but deceive themselves, who hope to find and enjoy God, though they go on in the way of fin. There are many finners, who though engaged in fome way of fin, or other, yet entertain hopes of finding God at laft. Though they accuftom themselves to lying, ftealing, cheating, fwearing, drinking to excefs, &c. yet they hope to come to the enjoyment of God. But this is a delufion of Satan, and a deceiving their own fouls. 1 Cor. vi. 9, 10. Know ye not, that the unrighteous fhall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived, neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themfelves with mankind, nor ibieves, nor covetous, nor drunk ards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. If a man be habituated and accustomed to any one of these fins, or fuch-like fins, he cannot pos fibly come to enjoy God in the kingdom of heaven. Such a way of fin continued in, will affuredly deprive him of God and heaven for ever. Let us then take heed, that we be not deceived in this matter.