Section 19

19 A godly man does not indulge himself in any sin. Though sin lives in him, yet he does not live in sin. Every man that has wine in him, is not in wine. A godly man may step into sin through infirmity, but he does not keep the road, Psalm 139:24. See if there be any way of wickedness in me.

Question. What is it to indulge sin?

Answer. 1 To give the breast to it, and feed it; as a fond Parent humors his child, and lets him have what he will, so to indulge sin, is to humor sin.

2 To indulge sin, is to commit it with delight, 1 Thessalonians 2:12. They have pleasure in unrighteousness.

In this sense a godly man does not indulge sin; though sin be in him, he is troubled at it, and would fain get rid of it; there is as much difference between sin in the wicked, and the godly, as between poison being in a Serpent, and in a Man; Poison in a Serpent, is in its natural place, and is delightful: But poison in a man's body is offensive, and he uses Antidotes to expel it. So sin in a wicked man is delightful, being in its natural place, but sin in a child of God is burdensome, and he uses all means to expel it. This pares off from the sin; the will is against it. A godly man enters his protest against sin, Romans 7:15. What I do, I allow not. A child of God while he commits sin, hates the sin he commits; Romans 7. in particular, there are four sorts of sins which a godly man will not allow himself in.

1 Secret sins, Some are more modest than to commit gross sin, that would be a stain to their reputation, but they will sit brooding upon sin in a corner, 1 Samuel 23:9. Saul secretly practiced mischief. All will not sin in a Balcony, but perhaps they will sin behind the curtain. Rachel did not carry her father's Images as a Sumpter-cloth, to be exposed to public view, but she put them under her, and sat upon them, Genesis 31:34. many carry their sins secretly, as a candle in a dark lantern.

But a godly man dares not sin secretly: 1 he knows that God sees in secret, Psalm 44:21. as God cannot be deceived by our subtlety, so he cannot be excluded by our secrecy.

2 A godly man knows that secret sins are in some sense worse than others: they discover more guile and Atheism; The Curtain-sinner makes himself believe God does not see, Ezekiel 8:12. Son of man, hast thou seen what the Ancients of the house of Israel have done in the dark; for they say, the Lord sees us not. They that have bad eyes, think the Sun is dim; how does this provoke God, that men's Atheism should give the lie to his Omniscience, Psalm 94:9. He that formed the eye, shall he not see?

3 A godly man knows that secret sins shall not escape God's Justice; a Judge on the Bench can punish no offense but what is proved by Witness; he cannot punish the Treason of the heart: but the sins of the heart are as visible to God, as if they were written upon the forehead. As God will reward secret duties, so he will revenge secret sins.

2 A godly man will not allow himself in gainful sins. Gain is the golden bait, with which Satan fishes for souls. —dulcis odor lucri—

This was the last temptation he used to Christ, Matthew 4:9. All this will I give thee. But Christ saw the hook under the bait. Many who have escaped gross sins, yet are caught in a golden Net: To gain the world, they will use indirect courses. A godly man dares not travel for riches through the Devil's highway. Those are sad gains, that make a man lose peace of conscience, and heaven at last. He who gets an estate by injustice, stuffs his pillow with thorns, and his head will lie very uneasy when he comes to die.

3 A godly man will not allow himself in a beloved sin; there is usually one sin that is the favorite, the sin which the heart is most fond of: A beloved Sin lies in a man's bosom, as the Disciple, whom Jesus loved, leaned on his bosom, John 13:23. A godly man will not indulge a darling sin, Psalm 18:23. I have kept myself from mine iniquity. The Sin of my constitution, to which the bias of my heart does more naturally incline, 1 Kings 22:31. Fight neither with small nor great, save only with the King: a godly man fights with this King-sin. The Oracle of Apollo answered the people of Cyrrha, that if they would live in peace among themselves, they must make continual war with those strangers, which were upon their confines. If we would have peace in our souls, we must maintain a war against our complexion-sin, and never leave till it be subdued.

Question. How shall we know the beloved sin?

Answer. 1 That sin which a man does not love to have reproved, is the darling Sin. Herod could not endure to have his incest spoken against; if the Prophet meddles with that sin, it shall cost him his head: men can be content to have other sins declaimed against, but if the Minister put his finger upon the sore, and touches this sin, their hearts begin to burn in malice against him; a shrewd sign, that is the Herodias.

2 That sin the thoughts run most upon, is the darling sin; which way the thoughts go, the heart goes; he that is in love with a person, cannot keep his thoughts off the object; examine what sin runs most in your mind, what sin is first in your thoughts, and salutes you in the morning, that is the predominant sin.

3 That sin which has most power over us, and does most easily lead us captive, that is the beloved of the soul; there are some sins a man can make better resistance against; if they come for entertainment, he can more easily put them off; but there is one sin, if that comes to be a suitor, he cannot deny it, but is overcome by it, this is the bosom sin. The young man in the Gospel, had given a repulse to many sins, but there was one sin foiled him, that was covetousness: Christians, mark what sins you are soonest led captive by, that is the Harlot in your bosom. 'Tis a sad thing that a man should be so bewitched by lust, that if it ask to part with, not only half the Kingdom, but the whole Kingdom of heaven, he must part with it, to gratify that lust.

4 That sin which men use arguments to defend, is the beloved sin; he that has a jewel in his bosom, will defend it as his life; so when there is any sin in the bosom, men will defend it; the sin we are advocates and disputants for, is the complexion-sin; if the sin be passion, and we plead for it, Jonah 4:9. I do well to be angry: if the sin be covetousness, and we vindicate it, and perhaps wrest Scripture to justify it, that is the sin which lies nearest the heart.

5. That sin which does most trouble us, and flies most in our face in an hour of sickness and distress, that is the Dalilah-sin: When Joseph's Brethren were distressed, their sin came to remembrance, in selling their Brother, Genesis 42:21. We are verily guilty concerning our brother, in that we saw the anguish of our brother when he besought us, and we would not hear, therefore is this distress come upon us. So, when a man is upon his Sick-bed, and Conscience shall say, thou hast been guilty of such a sin, thou didst go on in it, and roll it as honey under thy tongue, Conscience reads a sad Lecture, sure that was the beloved sin.

6. That sin which a man does most hardly let go his hold of, is the endeared sin: Jacob could of all his sons most hardly part with Benjamin, Genesis 42:36. Joseph is not, and Simeon is not, and ye will take Benjamin away: So says the sinner, this and that sin I have parted with, but must Benjamin go, must I part with this delightful sin, that goes to the heart? As it is with a Castle that has several Forts about it, the first and second Fort are taken, but when it comes to the Castle, the Governor will rather fight and die than yield that: So a man may suffer some of his sins to be demolished, but when it comes to one sin, that is the taking of the Castle, he will never yield to part with that; surely, that is the Master-sin.

The complexion-sin is a God-provoking sin. The wise men of Troy counseled Priam to send back Helen to the Grecians, not suffering himself to be any longer abused by the Charms of her beauty, because the keeping her within the City, would lay the foundation of a fatal war: So should we put away our Dalilah-sin, lest it incense the God of heaven, and make him commence a war against us.

The complexion-sin is of all other most dangerous: As Samson's strength lay in his hair, so the strength of sin lies in this beloved sin: This is like an humor striking to the heart, which brings death. A godly man will lay the Axe of Repentance to this sin, and hew it down; he sets this sin, as Uriah, in the forefront of the battle, that it may be slain: He will sacrifice this Isaac, he will pluck out this right eye, that he may see the better to go to heaven.

4. A godly man will not allow himself in those which the world counts lesser sins: There is no such thing as little sin, yet some may be deemed less comparatively; but a good man will not indulge himself in these.

As 1. Sins of Omission. Some think it no great matter to omit Family, or Closet-prayer; they can go several months and God never hear of them: A godly man will as soon live without food, as without prayer: He knows every creature of God is sanctified by prayer, 1 Timothy 4:5. The Bird may shame many Christians, it never takes a drop, but the eye is lifted up towards heaven.

2. A godly man dares not allow himself in vain frothy discourse, much less in that which looks like an oath: If God will reckon for idle words, will he not much more for idle oaths?

3. A godly man dares not allow himself in rash censuring: Some think this a small matter, they will not swear, but they will slander: this is very evil; you wound a man in that which is dearest to him: He who is godly turns all his censures upon himself, he judges himself for his own sins, but is very chary, and tender of the good name of another.

Use. As you would be numbered among the Genealogies of the Saints, do not indulge yourselves in any sin; consider the mischief that one sin lived in will do.

1. One sin gives Satan as much advantage against you as more: The Fowler can hold the Bird by one wing: Satan held Judas fast by one sin.

2. One sin lived in argues the heart is not sound; he who hides one Rebel in his house is a Traitor to the Crown; that person who indulges one sin, is a traitorous hypocrite.

3. One sin will make way for more; as a little Thief can open the door to more: Sin is linked and chained together; one sin will draw on more: David's adultery made way for murder: One sin never goes alone; if there be but one Nest-egg, the Devil can brood upon it.

4. One sin is as well a breach of God's Law as more, James 2:10. He that shall offend in one point, is guilty of all. If the King make a Law against Felony, Treason, Murder, if a man be guilty but of one of these, he is as well a Transgressor of the Law, as if he were guilty of all.

5. One sin lived in keeps out Christ from entering; one stone in the Pipe keeps out the water; one sin indulged obstructs the soul, and keeps the streams of Christ's Blood from running into it.

6. One sin lived in will spoil all your good duties: A drop of poison will spoil a glass of Wine: Abimelech, a Bastard, destroyed threescore and ten of his Brethren, Judges 9:5. One Bastard-sin will destroy threescore and ten prayers: One dead fly will corrupt the box of ointment.

7. One sin lived in will be a Cankerworm to eat out the peace of Conscience, it takes away the Manna out of the Ark, and leaves only a Rod. —Eheu quis intus scorpio? —

One sin is a Pirate to rob a Christian of his comfort; one jarring string brings all the Music out of tune; one sin countenanced, will spoil the Music of Conscience.

8. One sin allowed will damn as well as more; one disease is enough to kill. If a Fence be made never so strong, leave open but one gap, the wild Beast may enter, and tread down the corn. If there be but one sin allowed in the soul, you set open a gap for the Devil to enter. It is a simile of Chrysostom, a Soldier that has his Head-piece on and Breastplate, if in but one place he wants Armor, the bullet may enter there, and he may as well be shot, as if he had no Armor on. So if you favor but one sin, you leave a part of your soul unarmed, and the Bullet of God's Wrath may enter there and shoot you. One sin may shut you out of heaven; and as Jerome says, What difference is there in being shut out for more sins, or for one? Therefore take heed of cherishing one sin. One Millstone will sink a man into the Sea as well as a hundred.

9. One sin harbored in the soul will unfit for suffering. How soon may an hour of Trial come; he who has a hurt in his shoulder, cannot carry a heavy burden, and he who has any guilt in his Conscience, cannot carry the Cross of Christ. Will he deny his life for Christ, that cannot deny his lust for Christ? One sin in the soul unmortified, will bring forth the bitter fruit of Apostasy.

Would you then show yourselves godly, give a Bill of Divorce to every sin, kill the Goliath-sin, Romans 6:12. Let not sin reign: In the Original it is [Greek text], let not sin King it over you: Grace and Sin may be together, but Grace and the love of Sin cannot. Therefore parley with sin no longer, but with the Spear of Mortification, let out the heart-blood of every sin.

19. A godly man does not indulge himself in any sin. Though sin lives in him, he does not live in sin. Not every man who has wine in him is drunk. A godly man may stumble into sin through weakness, but he does not make sin his road. Psalm 139:24: See if there is any wicked way in me.

Question: What does it mean to indulge sin?

Answer: 1. To feed sin and keep it alive — the way an overindulgent parent gives a child whatever it wants, so to indulge sin is to humor it.

2. To indulge sin is to commit it with pleasure. 2 Thessalonians 2:12: They had pleasure in unrighteousness.

In this sense, a godly man does not indulge sin. Though sin is in him, he is troubled by it and would gladly be free of it. There is the same difference between sin in the wicked and sin in the godly as between poison in a snake and poison in a man. Poison in a snake is in its natural environment and causes no discomfort. Poison in a man's body is dangerous, and he uses every remedy to expel it. In the same way, sin in a wicked person is comfortable — it is in its natural place. But sin in a child of God is a burden, and he uses every means to rid himself of it. This is what separates him from sin: his will is against it. A godly man protests against sin. Romans 7:15: I do not understand my own actions — I do not do what I want. A child of God, even while committing sin, hates the sin he commits. There are four kinds of sin in particular that a godly man will not allow himself to indulge.

1. Secret sins: Some people are too cautious to commit obvious sins that would damage their reputation, but they will nurse sin in private. 1 Samuel 23:9: Saul was secretly working against David. Not everyone will sin openly, but many sin behind the curtain. Rachel did not display her father's household idols for all to see — she put them beneath her and sat on them, as Genesis 31:34 says. Many carry their sins secretly, like a candle hidden inside a dark lantern.

But a godly man dares not sin in secret. First, he knows that God sees what is done in secret. Psalm 44:21. God cannot be fooled by our cleverness, and He cannot be excluded by our secrecy.

Second, a godly man knows that secret sins are in some ways worse than others. They reveal more deceit and practical atheism. The person who sins behind closed doors convinces himself that God does not see. Ezekiel 8:12: Son of man, have you seen what the elders of the house of Israel are doing in the dark? For they say, the Lord does not see us. Those with bad eyes think the sun is dim. How greatly this provokes God — that people's practical disbelief should call His all-seeing knowledge a lie. Psalm 94:9: He who planted the ear, does He not hear?

Third, a godly man knows that secret sins will not escape God's justice. A judge on the bench can only punish offenses that are proved by evidence — he cannot punish the secret thoughts of the heart. But the sins of the heart are as visible to God as if they were written in large letters on a person's forehead. Just as God will reward secret acts of devotion, He will repay secret sins.

2. A godly man will not allow himself in profitable sins. Profit is the golden bait with which Satan fishes for souls. The sweetness of gain is a powerful lure.

Profit was the final temptation Satan used against Christ. Matthew 4:9: All these I will give You. But Christ saw the hook beneath the bait. Many who have escaped gross sins are still caught in a golden net. To gain wealth they will take crooked paths. A godly man will not travel to riches by the devil's highway. Gains that cost a man his peace of conscience and his heaven in the end are not gains at all. The person who builds his estate on injustice stuffs his pillow with thorns — and his head will rest very uneasily when death approaches.

3. A godly man will not allow himself in a favorite sin. There is usually one sin that holds a special place in the heart — the sin the heart is most attached to. A cherished sin rests in a man's heart the way the beloved disciple leaned on Jesus at the table. John 13:23. A godly man will not indulge a darling sin. Psalm 18:23: I have kept myself from my guilt. This means the sin that fits a person's natural temperament — the one his heart most naturally drifts toward. 1 Kings 22:31: Do not fight with small or great, but only with the king of Israel. A godly man fights with his king-sin. The oracle of Apollo told the people of Cyrrha that if they wanted to live at peace among themselves, they must keep constant war with the enemies on their borders. If we want peace in our souls, we must wage war against our besetting sin and never stop until it is subdued.

Question: How can we identify our favorite sin?

Answer: 1. The sin a person does not want to be confronted about is the darling sin. Herod could not tolerate having his immorality spoken against. If the prophet touched that sin, it would cost him his head. People can endure having other sins called out, but when the preacher puts his finger on that one wound and names that particular sin, their hearts fill with resentment. That reaction is a clear sign — that is the Herodias.

2. The sin the thoughts return to most often is the darling sin. Where the thoughts go, the heart goes. A person in love cannot keep their thoughts off the one they love. Examine which sin occupies your mind most. Which sin greets you first thing in the morning? That is the dominant sin.

3. The sin that has the greatest power over us — the one that leads us captive most easily — is the beloved sin. There are some sins a person can resist more effectively. When those sins come seeking entry, he can turn them away. But there is one sin that, when it comes calling, he cannot refuse — it overcomes him. This is the sin in his heart. The rich young man in the Gospels had turned away many sins, but one sin defeated him — that was greed. Christians, notice which sin carries you captive most easily. That is the seductive sin in your heart. It is a terrible thing when a person is so enslaved by lust that if it demands the loss of not only half the kingdom but the entire kingdom of heaven, he surrenders it to gratify that lust.

4. The sin a person constructs arguments to defend is the beloved sin. A person who carries a jewel will defend it as if his life depended on it. In the same way, when sin is lodged in the heart, people will defend it. The sin we become advocates and debaters for is the besetting sin. If the sin is anger and we argue for it — as Jonah did in Jonah 4:9: I have good reason to be angry — that is it. If the sin is greed and we justify it, perhaps even twisting Scripture to support it, that is the sin closest to the heart.

5. The sin that disturbs us most and confronts us most forcefully in times of sickness or crisis — that is the Delilah sin. When Joseph's brothers were in distress, their sin of selling him came flooding back to memory. Genesis 42:21: We are truly guilty concerning our brother, in that we saw the distress of his soul when he begged us and we did not listen. In the same way, when a person lies on a sickbed and conscience says: you committed this sin, you persisted in it and rolled it like honey under your tongue — when conscience reads that heavy account, you can be sure that was the beloved sin.

6. The sin a person finds hardest to let go of is the dearest sin. Jacob could part with any of his sons more easily than with Benjamin. Genesis 42:36: Joseph is no more, and Simeon is no more, and now you would take Benjamin. In the same way, the sinner says: this sin and that sin I have given up — but must Benjamin go? Must I part with this delightful sin that has such a hold on my heart? A castle may have several outer forts — and the first and second may be taken. But when the attackers reach the main castle, the commander will fight to the death rather than surrender it. In the same way, a person may allow some sins to be dismantled, but when it comes to one particular sin — that is the taking of the castle — and he will never yield to part with it. That is the master-sin.

The besetting sin is a God-provoking sin. The wise men of Troy advised Priam to send Helen back to the Greeks and not let himself be any longer captivated by her beauty, because keeping her in the city would lay the foundation of a devastating war. In the same way, we should put away our Delilah sin, lest it provoke the God of heaven and cause Him to make war against us.

The besetting sin is the most dangerous of all. As Samson's strength lay in his hair, so the strength of sin lies in this beloved sin. It is like a disease that strikes the heart and brings death. A godly man will lay the axe of repentance to this sin and cut it down. He places this sin, like Uriah, in the front line of battle so that it may be destroyed. He will sacrifice this Isaac. He will tear out this right eye so that he can see more clearly the way to heaven.

4. A godly man will not allow himself in sins the world considers minor. There is no such thing as a truly small sin, though some may be less serious by comparison. But a godly man will not indulge even these.

For example, first: sins of neglect. Some think it is no great matter to skip family prayer or personal prayer. They can go months without God hearing from them. A godly man would as soon live without food as without prayer. He knows that every blessing is sanctified through prayer, as 1 Timothy 4:5 says. A bird should put many Christians to shame — it never takes a drink without lifting its eye toward heaven.

Second, a godly man dares not allow himself in empty, trivial talk — much less in anything that sounds like a careless oath. If God will hold us accountable for idle words, how much more will He hold us accountable for idle oaths?

Third, a godly man dares not allow himself in harsh, unfair judgment of others. Some think this a small matter — they would not swear, but they will slander. This is deeply wrong. You wound a person in what is most precious to him. A godly man turns all his criticism against himself — he judges his own sins. But he is very careful and tender with the good name of another.

Application: If you want to be counted among the saints, do not indulge any sin. Consider the damage a single sin, harbored and lived in, will do.

1. One sin gives Satan as much advantage over you as many sins. A bird-catcher can hold a bird by one wing. Satan held Judas firmly by just one sin.

2. One sin that is lived in shows that the heart is unsound. A person who hides a rebel in his house is guilty of treason against the crown. The person who indulges one sin is a treacherous hypocrite.

3. One sin opens the door to more. A small thief can unlock the door for others to enter. Sin is linked in chains — one sin pulls in more. David's adultery opened the way to murder. One sin never travels alone. If only one seed of sin is left, the devil will brood on it until it multiplies.

4. One sin is as much a breach of God's law as many. James 2:10: Whoever fails in one point of the law has become guilty of all of it. If the king makes laws against robbery, treason, and murder, a person who is guilty of only one of these is just as much a lawbreaker as if he were guilty of all three.

5. One sin that is lived in keeps Christ from entering. One stone in a pipe blocks the water. One sin that is indulged clogs the soul and keeps the streams of Christ's blood from flowing into it.

6. One sin that is lived in will ruin all your good acts of worship. A drop of poison spoils a glass of wine. Abimelech, a son born outside marriage, killed seventy of his brothers, as Judges 9:5 records. One corrupt sin will destroy seventy prayers. One dead fly will corrupt the whole jar of ointment.

7. One sin harbored in the soul gnaws like a worm at the peace of conscience. It takes the manna out of the ark and leaves only the rod. As one ancient writer lamented: Ah, what is that scorpion within?

One sin is a pirate that robs a Christian of his comfort. One string out of tune ruins all the music. One sin that is tolerated will destroy the music of a clear conscience.

8. One tolerated sin will damn a person just as surely as many. One disease is enough to kill. No matter how strong a fence is, if one gap is left open the wild animal will find it and trample the crop. If even one sin is allowed in the soul, you leave an opening for the devil to enter. Chrysostom compared this to a soldier in full armor — if even one part of his body is left unguarded, the bullet can enter there and he may be shot just as surely as if he wore no armor at all. In the same way, if you favor even one sin, you leave part of your soul unprotected, and the bullet of God's wrath may enter there and strike you down. One sin can shut you out of heaven. As Jerome asks: What difference is there between being shut out for many sins or for one? Therefore be careful not to cherish even one sin. One millstone will sink a man to the bottom of the sea just as effectively as a hundred.

9. One sin harbored in the soul will make a person unfit to endure suffering. A time of trial may come at any moment. The person with an injured shoulder cannot carry a heavy load. In the same way, the person with guilt in his conscience cannot carry the cross of Christ. Will someone deny his very life for Christ when he cannot deny his lust for Christ? One unmortified sin in the soul will eventually produce the bitter fruit of apostasy.

If you truly want to show yourself godly, give every sin a bill of divorce and cut it off. Kill your Goliath sin. Romans 6:12: Do not let sin reign in your mortal body. In the original, this means: do not let sin play king over you. Grace and sin may coexist, but grace and love for sin cannot. Therefore stop negotiating with sin. Take the spear of mortification and drive it into the heart of every sin.