3 34 Sermon v. bath run as a clear, fmooth and í1i11 river or ffreams; The letting in of fin is like to the driving of a herd of cattle thorow a clear running ilream, whereby it is mud- ded and troubled ; fo that,inflead of peace, there came in difquieting challenges, and,inflead of clearnefs,much con - fufion ; as we may fee in the fad inflances of feveral of God's faints, as particularly in David after his fall, who therefore, Pfäl. 5i. prays to be wafhen from this ñlthinefs, both from the guilt, and from the pollution of fin ; and for peace, that God would reficre to him the joy of his fat-. vation. 3. In refpe& of a finful propenfion and inclina- tion to more fin, which follows upon every fin ; fo that, by frequent falling into fin, the very, nature as it were of Confcience is altered, that of a lother of fin it becomes a lover of it, and licks it up as a dog doth his vomit ; and,' with the fow that was wafhen, returns to wallowing in the mire, as the apoflie fpeaks, z Pet. z. ult. When a per -, fon is feemingly wafhen, and returns to the fame fins that he was given to before, his Conf ience becomes fo filthy, 'that it can digefl the filthiefl and molt lothfom fins, it can (wallow them down, and glut them over (to (peak fo) and never challenge nor quarrel for them : In this fenfe the apoflle Pays, Tit. z . 15. To the pure all things are ¡. pure, but to thefs that are defiled and unbelieving, there is nothing pure, but even their mind and Confcience is defiled. The man that follows a courfe of fin, his mind and Con- fcience is defiled, not only in refpe& of contra &ed guilt, and in refpe& of the want of peace and comfort ; but alío in refpe& of utter indifpoftion for duty, and of a. finful inclination to more fin, fo that it becomes hardned and cauterized ö There is fuck a contagion in fin, that it defiles and pollutes the Confcience all thefe ways ; that, whereas it was before pure, it becomes now like a perfon that bath the botch, and many boils and putrifying fore: running in him. Only we would diflinguiíh here betwixt this pollution of Confcience, as it is total in an unrenewed man, and as it is partial in a believer : A believer may be defiled in Confcience,when he is offended and ffumbled,fo as to be tempted,by the example cfothers,to do fomething` wherein he is not clear,as fome were, ICor.7. to. His Con -, fcience is thereby mudded, jumbled and troubled,and his, peace"
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