More Ugly and Horrid Than the Devil Himself!

What bosom sin is there so sweet or profitable that is

worth a-burning in hell for, or worth a-shutting out of

heaven for? Surely none! This a gracious soul seriously

weighs, and accordingly he sets himself against the

toad in his bosom--against his darling sins, against

his complexion sins.

But now, unsound hearts are very favorable to bosom

sins, to complexion sins. They say of them, as Lot of

Zoar, "Is it not a little one?" Gen. 19:20; and as David

once said concerning Absalom, 2 Sam. 18:5, "Deal

gently with the young man."

An unsound heart is as fond of his bosom sins,

of his darling sins--

as Jacob was of his Benjamin;

or as Naaman was of his idol Rimmon;

or as Judas was of his money-bag;

or as Herod was of his Herodias;

or as Demetrius was of his Diana.

The besotted sinner is most engaged to his bosom

sins, his darling sins; and therefore it is as bitter a

thing as death for him to part with them. He had

rather part with thousands of rams, and with ten

thousand rivers of oil; than with his bosom sin. Let

God frown or smile, stroke or strike, lift up or cast

down, promise or threaten--yet he will hide and hold

fast his bosom sin! Let God set life and death, heaven

and hell, glory and misery before him--yet he will

not part with his bosom sins! Let God wound his

conscience, blow upon his estate, leave a blot upon his

name, crack his credit, afflict his body, write death upon

his relations, and be a terror to his soul--yet will he not

let his darling sins go! An unsound heart will rather let

God go, and Christ go, and heaven go, and all go--than

he will let his darling lusts go!

But now a sound Christian, a thorough Christian, he sets

himself most against the Delilah in his bosom, against the

Benjamin, the son, the sin of his right hand. A sincere

Christian looks upon bosom sins, upon complexion sins, as

the most God-provoking sins. There are no sins so provoking

to God's jealousies and justice as bosom sins! He looks upon

bosom sins as the most dangerous sins! He looks upon bosom

sins as the worst thing in all the world! He looks upon bosom

sins as more ugly and horrid than the devil himself, or

than hell itself! He looks upon bosom sins as the great

hindrance between God and his soul, and between his

conscience and his comfort. He looks upon bosom sins as

those enemies that have provoked God often to turn a deaf

ear to all his prayers! He looks upon his bosom sins as so

many Judases that have often betrayed him into the hands

of the devil! He looks upon his bosom sins as the waters of

Marah, which have embittered all his mercies! He looks upon

his bosom sins as the only things that have often clouded the

face of God! He looks upon his bosom sins as dead flies in the

box of precious ointment--which spoils all; and accordingly

with all his might he sets himself against them.

He fights most against these;

he weeps most over these;

he watches and arms most against these;

he prays most against these;

he resolves most against these;

he lays the axe of repentance most to these.