ON HOSEA XIV.- VERSE 1, 2. 29 this we cannot away with. Some are fat, delicate, golden sins, we would fain spare these, as Saul did Agag, and hide them, as Achan did his wedge. Herod hears John gladly in many things, but if he restrain him of his Herodias, he must expect to be himself restrained. Agrippa will be almost a christian, but " altogether" may chance bring a chain with it ! Jehu will down with Baal and his priests, but he knows not how to part with his calves, lest he venture his kingdom. Policy is ever entering caveats against piety. Thus men huckster, and stand upon abate- ments with Christ in the bargain of salvation, not considering that the purchase of heaven is like the buying of the Sybil's prophecy, the longer we stand off, the dearer it will cost us every day ; the more tears, the harder repentance, the deeper sorrow, the stronger cries. These men know not the price of a soul, nor the worth of a Saviour. O if Christ should have served us so in dying for sin, as many of us do serve him in turning from sin, what a condition had our souls been in ! If he had died for some sins, and not for others ; if he had been unwilling to save us to the uttermost, as we are to serve him to the uttermost ; if he should have stopt before he came to consummalum est,* and left any one drop of that bitter cup for us to drink after him, would it not have " caused our belly to swell, and our thigh to rot," Numb. v. 21. and made us for ever inca- pable of any other mercy than only a less damnation ? Well, beloved, Christ expecteth, that as he died for all sin, so we should die to all : he will be counted worthy of all acceptation, before he will bestow him - s "lf ; he will not suffer his blood and his mercy to * It is finished, John xix. 30. c3
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