5 SERMONS upoa Serm. VIIto hearts were never changed,their renounced tins and flefhly practices are as dear to them as ever True repentance will produce a conftant perfeverance in well doing ; but if the unclean ffirit returneth, after it flexed to be call out, Luke 11. 24. we never parted in good earneft. Was your repentance fincere, and will you talle of the bitter waters again ? Indeed we mull dillinguilh of Relapfes. (i.) As to the degrees of fin, there are infirmities which we cannot avoid while we are in the body; and there are iniquities which we can and ought to avoid. A man that is troubled with vain and darkling thoughts in Prayer, may be troubled again; but of grofs and wilful fins we never foundly repented, if we ceafe not from them,,ut4c- fag7a (ávtu the pollutions of the world fpoken of a Pet. 2. 20, Doth a man repent of bit ttecleannefs, that often falleth into it, as often as the occafion returneth ? So again, (2.) As to the fealons of finning , we mutt dittinguilh between the as repeated be- fore any repentance profeffed, or after. An Iffue when it is new made, before the ori- fice of the wound be well doted , may bleed afrefh after it is bound up So before we are throughly recovered, fin will be breaking out , as in Lots doubled Incefl. Samfons returning often to Dalilah , when God had rebuked him for his fin ; Peters treble de- nials , his heart was not throughly touched and moulded as yet this was as one conti- cued fin. (3.) As to the manner of the return, if it be frequently, readily, eafily , this will in- fer a Habit ; for an Habit ferveth,at quit facilè,jucundè, conflanter agar. Now though fome fins folicite us more than others , yet uprightnefs requireth that we Ihould keep our felves from our iniquity , Pfal. 18. 23. I was alto upright before him , and I kept m, filf from my iniquity. So that Repentance , which confrlis only in farrow for fin , and fuch trouble for it as doth not mortifie it , is but like thawing a little in the Sun -thine or giving weather , loft at top, and hard at bottom. True Repentance is a thorow change of heart and life ; therefore to repent and go on Rill in our trefpaffes , is no found Repentance. 2. Death hath no dominion over him ; fo Ihould not fin have over us. After all our care fin will be troublefom, but it mutt be kept out of the Throne; if men forfaite not known wilful fins, they are wicked men, fin reigneth, and the power of it is no way broken : Therefore let it not have dominion, fo as to draw you to a fenfual life, or command your thoughts and affeetions, or ingrofs your time and ftrength : Pfa4 19. t3. Keep back thy fervent tlfo from prefumptuousfans , let them not have dominion over me, fo ¡hall I be upright , and free from the great iranfgreon. As to the Merit, there needeth not another Sacrifice; and to the conveyance and making over the bleffings of the Ca feel, there needeth not another Covenant: fo, as to the Application, there needeth not another Regeneration or total Converfion unto God; as alto our Baptifm, which is the fign of it , needeth not to be repeated or reiterated , though the Alts of our Faith and Repentance need often to be repeated. For all known fins it is exprefly required ; for fins of ignorance , and letter efcapes, they are pardoned of courfe, and as they are re- traeted in a general Repentance. Well then, let us fo rife to newnefs of life, as never to return to our old fins again, at lealt let them not have dominion over us. Baptiftn is the Sacrament of our Regeneration , and implanting into Chrift , and reception into Gods Family; and as we are born but once, fo we are but once new -born; being once received into Gods Family, we are never caf out thence; being once adopted into the number of his Children , we are never difinherited: no, the gifts and calling of God are without repentance, Rom. s 1.29. Secondly, As to the Perfeûion and Bleffednefs of it, In that he liveth, he liveth wit; God. This is, a. A Pattern and Copy of the fpiritual Life here upon earth. 2. A Pledge and Affurance of our glorious Life in Heaven. The one is our Duty, the other is our Reward. 1. The fpiritual Life is a living to God, as Chrift liveth with God and to Cod. As Mediator he liveth with God, is fat down at his right hand : fo Ihould we live in Com- munion with God , be much and often in Company with him , in our whole courfe we ihould always fa him before us, walking as in his eye and pretence, Pfd. 16. 8. I have Jet the Lord always before me. It is his Law we live by, in his Pretence we flared , his Work we do , his Glory we leek ; for our great end is the pleating and glorifying of God, Gal, 2. 19. For I through the Law am dead to the Law, that i' might live unto God, Rom. 14. 7, 8. For none o an liveth to himfff, and no man dyeth to him/ f; for whether ire live, we live unto the Lord , and whether we dye, we dye onto the Lord ; whether we live
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