Tempt. XXXIV. But you repent, and ask God forgiveness through Christ, every night, for the sins of the day.
Direct. XXXIV. Repenting is a sorrowful turning of the heart from sin to God. You repent not if you turn not. To mock God with such hypocritical praying and repenting is itself a heinous sin. Will you take it for repenting, if a man that spits in your face and beateth you, shall do it every day, and ask you forgiveness at night, and purpose to do it still, because he asked forgiveness.
Tempt. XXXV. But every man sinneth daily: you do but as the best men in the world do.
Direct. XXXV. No true christian that is justified hath any sin but what he hateth more than loveth, and would fain be rid of, and striveth against in the use of holy means. He hath no beloved sin which he would not part with, but had rather keep than leave.
Tempt. XXXVI. But those that seem strict and godly are hypocrites, and secretly as bad as you.
Direct. XXXVI. This is just like the devil, the accuser of those that are sanctified and justified by Christ, the father of malice and lies; to charge that on them, which he confesseth is secret and he cannot prove. So he said of Job, that if he were touched in his estate or body, he would forsake his godliness; but he was found a liar. But be it how it will, I am sure I must be holy or I shall not see God, and if "I live after the flesh I shall die," Heb. xii. 14; Rom. viii. 9, 13; and other men's misery will be no ease to me.
Tempt. XXXVII. But, saith the tempter, if you will not sin, come but near it, and do that which is lawful.
Direct. XXXVII. Indeed we must not run into a contrary extreme, under pretence of flying far enough from sin; but if you keep out of other sin, you cannot go too far from any. To be near sin, is to be near God's wrath, and near that which tendeth to hell fire. And to come near it is the common way of coming to it. He that could wish he might do it, is infected at the heart already. Keep a tender conscience, and a constant sense of the danger of sinning.
Tempt. XXXVIII. It is a great snare, when sin is got into credit, 1. By putting fair names upon it, calling luxury and gluttony keeping a good house, and a good table; tippling is called drinking a cup with a friend; lust and filthiness are called love; worldliness is called thriftiness and good husbandry; idleness and loss of time are called the leisure of a gentleman; slothfulness is called a not being too worldly; time-wasting sports are called recreations; pride is called decency and handsomeness; proud revenge is called honour and gallantry; Romish cruelty, and persecution, and wasting the church, are called keeping up order, obedience, and unity; disobedience to superiors is called not fearing man; church divisions are called strictness and zeal. 2. Especially if a sin be not in disgrace among the stricter sort, it greatly prepareth men to commit it: as breaking the Lord's day, beyond sea, in many reformed churches: and at home, spiritual pride, censoriousness, backbiting, disobedience, and church divisions are not in half that disgrace among many professors of strictness, as they deserve, and as swearing, &c. are.
Direct. XXXVIII. Remember, that whatever be the name or cloak, God judgeth righteously, according to the truth; names may deceive us, but not our Judge. And sin is still in disgrace with God, however it be with men. Remember, the comelier the paint and cover are, the greater is the danger, and the more watchful and cautelous we should be. It is not imperfect man, but the perfect law of God, which must be our rule. The great success of this temptation should deter us from entertaining it. What abundance of mischief hath it done in the world!