254 THE DEFILEMENT OF BIN, WHEREIN IT CONSISTS, expressed. And from hence it is, that sin bath the" properties and effects of uncleanness in the sight of God, and in the conscience of the sinner, God abhors, loathes it, accounts it an abominable thing, as that which is directly contrary to his holiness, which; as impressed on the law, is the rule of purity, integrity, spiritual beauty and honour. And in the conscience of the sin- ner it is attended with shame, as a thing deformed, loathsome, vile, base, and dishonourable. SeeJer. ii. 26. In all in whom it is, I say, unless they are blind and obdurate, it fills them with shame. I speak not ofsuch as are little or not at all spiritually sensible of sin, or any of its properties, who fear not because of its guilt, nor are disquieted by its power, nor acquaintedwith its fomes or disposition to evil, and so not ashamed of its filth, much less of such as are given over to all unclean- ness with delight and greediness, wallowing in the pol- lution of it like the sow in the mire, who not only do the things which God abhorreth, but also have pleasure in them that do them. But those I intendwho have the least real conviction of the nature and tendency of sin, who are all in one degree or other ashamed of it as a filthy thing. And a casting off of outward shame, that is so from its object, or shame with respect unto the conscience and judgment of human kind, as those do who proclaim their sins as Sodom, and hide them not, is the highest aggravation of sinning and contempt of God; and the casting out of inward shame, with respect unto the divine omniscience, the highest evidence of a reprobate mind. But, in all others, who have more light and spiritual sense it produceth shame and self - abhorrency, which bath always a respect unto the ho- liness of God, as Job xlii. 5, 6. They see that in sin, which is so vile, base, and filthy, and which renders them so, that, like unto men undera loathsome disease, they are not able to bear the sight of their own sores, Psal. xxxviii. 5. God detested), abhorretb, and turn - eth from sin, as a loathsome thing, and man is filled with shame for it, it is therefore filthy. Yea, no tongue can express the sense which a believing soul bath of 'the uncleanness of sin with respect unto the holiness of God. And this may suffice to givea little prospect into the nature of this defilement of sin, which the scripture so abundantly insisteth on, and which all believers are so sensible of. Sect. 6. This pravity, or spiritual disorder, with respect unto the holiness of God, which is the shame- ful defilement of sin, is twofold: (I.) That which is habitual in all the faculties of our souls by nature, as they are the principle of our spiritual and moral opera- tions. They are all shamefully and loathsomely de- praved, out of order, and no way correspondent unto the holiness of God. Hence, by nature, we are wholly unclean; who can bring a clean thing out of that which is unclean? And this uncleanness is graphically expres- sed under the similitude of a wretched polluted infant, Ezek. xvi. 3, 4, 5. (2.) That which is actual in all the actings of our faculties, as so defiled: For, 1. Be any sin of what nature it will, there is a pollution attending of it. Hence the apostle adviseth to cleanse ourselves from all pollutions offlesh and spirit, 2 Cor. vii. 1. The sins that are internal and spiritual, as pride, self-love, covetousness, unbelief, have a pollution attending them as well as those which are fleshly and sensual. 2. So far as any thing of this pravity or disorder mixeth itself with the best of our duties, it renders both us and them unclean, Ise. lxiv. 6. We are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are asfilthy rags. (2dly,) This uncleanness, as it is habitual, respecting our natural defilement, isequal in and unto every one that is born into the world. We are, by nature, all alike polluted, and that to the utmost of what our na- ture is capable. But, with respect unto actual sins, it is not so: for in them it bath various degrees and aggravations, even as many as sin itself bath: (1.) The greater the sin is from its nature or circumstances, the greater is the defilement wherewith it is attended. Hence there is no sin expressed under such terms of filthiness and abhorrences as idolatrywhich is the great- est of sins. See Ezek. xvi. 36, 37. Or, (2.) There is an aggravation of it when the whole person is defiled, as it is in the case of fornication before instanced in. (3.) It is heightened by a continuance in sin, whereby an addition is made to its pollution every day, and which is called wallowing in the mire, 2 Peter ii. 22. I have, in this whole discourse, but touched upon this consideration of sin, which the scripture so fre- quently mentions and inculcates. For, as all the first. institutions of divine worship, recorded therein, had some respect hereunto, so the last rejection of obstinate sinners, mentioned in it is, Let him that is filthy, or unclean, befilthy still, Rev. xxii. 11. Neither is there
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