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manner as he would, and found fin mixing itself with his best performances. Thus it is, and thus it will be, with all faints, as long as the restless principle of fin remains in them. It is not therefore neceflary to finding mercy with God, that we fhould fo forfake finful thoughts, as never to have a finful thought more to rife in our minds. For then no man on earth could hope for mercy of the Lord.

Anfw. 2. Affirmatively: A fincere renouncing finful thoughts is neceffary to a finding mercy with God. A man may, in truth, fincerely forfake finful thoughts, though he cannot do it perfectly. Now this fincere forfaking finful thoughts discovers itfelf in these things.

1. Unfeigned grief for them. Sinful thoughts, are juft matter for godly forrow and one that is truly godly, does confefs thefe his finful thoughts to God, with mourning and forrow for them. The latter part of the feventh chapter to the Romans contains the apostle Paul's doleful lamentation over the workings of fin in his heart. Now when a man does thus bitterly and daily bewail the finful thoughts of his heart, 'tis evident that he does then forfake them, as to allowed delight in them. He does not indulge himfelf in them with pleasure, as ungodly men do; but exercifes himself in deep forrow for them, as they are offenfive to the. heart-fearching God.

2. A real hatred of them. Thefe finful thoughts are abominable evils, which ought to be abhorred. And every one that is truly penitent and godly, does hate them with his very foul. Pfal. cxix. 113. I hate vain thoughts. The holy pfalmift hated, not only the doing of evil, but also the very thinking of evil. Though he could not keep fuch thoughts wholly out of his mind, yet he hated them. Thus the apostle Paul speaking of the inward actings of corruption, declares his hatred of them. Rom. vii. 15. What I hate, that I do. Now, when there is fuch a predominant and permanent hatred of finful thoughts in the heart, then does a man for fake them, as to allowed love to them. His foul is

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not in love with them, but his affection is withdrawn from them. Though formerly they were dear to him and beloved by him, yet now they are hated by him. His love to them, is turned into an hatred of them. Yea, and he is a loathing to himself on the account of them. These things make him, with holy Job, cry out to God, Behold, I am vile.

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3. A ftrict watchfulness against them. Chriftians are called upon to keep their hearts with all diligence. Prov. iv. 23. They fhould carefully look to and watch over their hearts; to prevent, as much as may be, all workings of fin therein. This is one great branch of the duty of chriftian watchfulness; even, to watch against finful thoughts. And every fincere chriftian, is a vi-, gilant chriftian in this point. He is daily upon his watch against evil thoughts, to keep them out, or to fupprefs them...Now, when finful thoughts are thus confcientiously watched against, they are really forfaken, as to indulgence or welcome entertainment. They do not lodge in the heart with approbation and allowance. Rom. vii. 15. That which I do, I allow not. He did not allow the motions of fin in him, fo as to harbour and cherish them in his heart.

Anfw. 4. A longing for full deliverance from finful thoughts. A true penitent is burdened with indwelling fin, and the workings of it, in his foul. And he groans under it, as an heavy burden, which he longs to be fully rid of. Rom. vii. 24. O wretched man that I am! Who fhall deliver me from the body of this death!----Now, when a man does thus long to be fully and eternally freed from all finful thoughts, he does then forfake them, and that perfectly, as to the wish and defire of his foul. Might he have his defire, he would never have one finful thought more arife in his heart.

APPLICATION.

USE I. We hence fee, that the golpel is no doctr of licentiousness. It gives no liberty to fin. It will

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not allow men fo much as to fin in their very thoughts. Some finners indeed do abufe the gofpel unto licentioufness, because it is a doctrine of grace. Jude ¥. 4. There are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of God into lafcivioufnefs. There were in the apoftle's days, fuch as were ready to countenance themfelves in filthy practices, from the revelation of the rich grace of God in the gofpel. But this is a curfed perverting of the gofpel. A great many nevertheless are ftill guilty of this vile abufe of the gofpel. Though they dare not in plain words fay, that the gofpel of grace gives them leave to live in fin, yet in their practice they speak as much as this comes to. Thus do all they who defer repentance, because God has in the gofpel revealed himself to be a moft gracious and merciful God. 'Tis this doctrine of divine grace, which is made the occafion of putting off their repentance till hereafter. Why do they go on in fin, purposing to repent hereafter? Is it not because they hope they fhall find mercy hereafter? And what is it they make the ground of this hope? Is it not the revelation of God's gracious difpofition? So that they as yet continue in fin impenitently, because God is a gracious God. Let fuch remember, that the gofpel gives no fuch allowance to abide in fin. It is a doctrine of strict holiness, forbidding fin, so much as in the thoughts of the heart. O then take heed of perverting the gospel unto an indulging of fin. Nothing is more provoking to God, than to make that grace an argument to embolden us to fin, whofe proper tendency is to melt us down into forrow for fin, and lead us to repentance for it.

USE 2. We hence fee, that thofe are deceived, who judge themselves godly perfons, because of their outward reformation, although they indulge themfelves in finful houghts. Men are apt to think an external blameless Life, a fufficient evidence of their good eftate, and of

their title to eternal life. If they forfake fome evil ways and courfes which they once lived in, they now imagine themselves to be really partakers of grace and heirs of glory. They build upon a visible refor.. mation, though all this while they can quietly allow themselves in heart-fins. They do not keep a watch over their hearts; but can with defire and delight daily indulge themselves in proud, or covetous, or filthy, or revengeful, or malicious, or discontented, or uncharitable, or irreligious thoughts, Such thoughts as thefe fill their minds from day to day. And they do not ftrive against them, nor pray against them, nor mourn for them, and groan after deliverance from them. Such as thefe, how blamelefs foever their lives may be, are far from being holy, fincere chriftians; and fo, far from: an interest in the pardoning mercy of God. They are not juftified and fanctified perfons. They are no better than the hypocritical Scribes and Pharifees, who were outwardly blameless, but inwardly filthy and vile. Matth. xxiii. 27, 28. Wo unto you Scribes and Pharifees, bypocrites; for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness. Even fo ye alfo outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrify and iniquity. If therefore we are not careful to forfake finful thoughts, as well as outward finful deeds,, we are no better than hypocritical Scribes and Pharifees, and fhall come fhort of eternal falvation. Matth. v. 20. I fay unto you, that except your righteoufnefs fhall exceed the righteoufnefs of the Scribes and Pharifees, ye shall in no cafe enter into the kingdom of heaven. Let us then take heed, that we be not deceived in ourselves.

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USE 3. Let us be careful to forfake finful thoughts. Let us look well, not only to the way of our lives, but allo to the way of our hearts. Let us be concerned to get and keep our infide clean, as well our outfide; to relinquish finful thonghts, as well as finful speeches and actions. To this end, confider these things. Cc 3 1. Confider,

1. Confider, GOD diftinctly obferves all our finful thoughts. Though men do not, and cannot, fee them, yet God fees and knows them perfectly. He is an heart-fearching God, and knows all the inward actings of the heart. 1 Chron. xxviii. 9. The Lord fearchetb all hearts, and understandeth the imaginations of the thoughts. They are as obvious and visible to him, as our most open actions are to men. Let us then confider, there is not a thought of our hearts that is hid from him, but they are all naked and opened unto his eyes. Were this really believed and seriously pondered upon, it would make us more watchful against (inful thoughts, than we usually are. How loth are we, that men should know our finful thoughts? and how afhamed fhould we be, if they did know them? But, is not God greater than man? And does not his holy and jealous eye behold all our finful thoughts? Should not this make us careful to avoid them?

2. Confider, GOD will bring our finful thoughts into judgment. The thoughts of men are free from the command and jurisdiction of human laws, and therefore cannot be accounted for at any human court of judicature. But the laws of God reach the fpirits of men, and he knows whether the actings of our fpirits be conformed to thefe or not, and he will call us to an account for them. All our finful thoughts, as well as our finful words and deeds, will be brought into judgment. Eccl. xii. 14. For God fball bring every work into judgment, with every fecret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil. We muft in that day be accountable for all our fecret evil thoughts. They will then be brought to light, and be published to all the world, and be punished with everlafting deftruction. 1 Cor. iv. 5. Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darknefs, and will make manifeft the counfels of the heart. Christ observes all our finful thoughts, with full purpofe to judge and punith us for them. Rev. ii. 23. And all the churches shall know, that I am he which fearcheth the

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