126 THIRD SERMON it would minister matter of much humiliation and fear unto them, when their own heart would reply against them as Samuel against Saul. Hast thou indeed, as thou professest, done the work of the Lord in destroy- ing Amalek ; " What then meaneth the bleating of the sheep, and the lowing of the oxen in mine ears :" What mean these worldly and covetous practices ? these lascivious or revengeful speeches ? these earthly, sensual, or ambitious lusts ? are these Agags spared and kept delicately ? and canst thou please thyself in the thoughts of a sound repentance ? Did Paul fear that God would humble him for those who had not repented amongst the Corinthians by this argument, because he should find envyings, strifes, and debates amongst them ? 2 Cor. xii. 20, 21. And wilt thou presume on thy repentance, and not be humbled, when . thou findest the same things in thyself ? Hast thou never yet proclaimed defiance to thy beloved sin, made it the mark of thy greatest sorrows, of thy strongest prayers and complaints unto God? Hast thou never stirred up a holy indignation and revenge against it, and above all things taken off thy thoughts from the meditation and love of it, and found pleasure in the holy severity of God's book and the ministry thereof against it ? made no covenant with thine eye, put no knife to thy throat, set no door before thy lips, made no friends of unrighteous mam- mon ? Dost thou still retain hankering affections after thy wonted delights, as Lot's wife after Sodom ? and are the flesh -pots of Egypt desirable in thy thoughts still? " Be not high- minded, but fear." There is no greater argument of an unsound repent- ance than indulgent thoughts, and reserved delight and complacency in a master sin. The devil will diligently observe and hastily catch one kind glance
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