Part 5 HOLINESS, the Only Way to Happiness
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Part 6 HOLINESS, the Only Way to Happiness
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(3.) Thirdly, As a holy heart rises against the least sins—just so, a holy heart rises against BOSOM-sins, against constitution-sins, against those sins which either his calling, former custom, or his present inclination or condition—do most dispose him to. It is true, a prodigal person may abhor covetousness, and a covetous person may condemn prodigality; a furious person may hate fearfulness, and a fearful person may detest furiousness. But now the hearts of those who are holy rise against their complexion sins, against their darling sins, against those sins which make for present pleasure and profit, against those sins which were once as right hands and right eyes. They are agains those sins which were that to their souls, which Delilah was to Samson, Herodias to Herod, Isaac to Abraham, and Joseph to Jacob.
Psalm 18:23, "I was also upright before him; and I kept myself from my iniquity;" that is, from my darling sin, whereunto I was most inclined and addicted. What this bosom-sin was, which he kept himself from, is hard to say. Some suppose his darling sin was lying, deceit; for it is certain, he often fell into this sin. Others suppose it to be some secret iniquity, which was only known to God and his own conscience. Others say it was uncleanness, and that therefore he prayed that "God would turn away his eyes from beholding vanity," Psalm 119:37. Others judge it to be that sin of disloyalty, which Saul and his courtiers falsely charged upon him. It is enough for our purpose, to know that his heart did rise against that very sin, that either by custom or some strong inclination he was most naturally apt, ready, and prone to fall into.
Idolatry was the darling sin of the people of Israel; [Jer. 44:15, 20; Isaiah 1:29, and 57:5; Jer. 17:1-2; Hosea 2:8; Isaiah 31:6-7.] they called their idols delectable, or desirable things, Isaiah 44:9; they did dearly affect and delight in their idols. But when God would come to put a spirit of holiness upon them—then their hearts would rise in hatred and detestation of their idols, as you may see in Isaiah 30:18, 25; mark verse 22, "Then you will defile your idols overlaid with silver and your images covered with gold; you will throw them away like a menstrual cloth and say to them—Away with you!" They were so delighted and enamored with their idols, that they would deck them up in the greatest elegance and finery; they would attire them with the most rich, costly, pompous, and glorious raiment. Oh—but when a spirit of holiness would rise upon them, then they would defile, deface, and disgrace their idols—then they should so hate and abhor them, they should so detest and loathe them, that in a holy indignation they should cast them away as a menstruous cloth, and say unto them, "Away with you! pack, begone, I will never have any more to do with you! God has now made an everlasting divorce between you and me!" [After the return of the Jews out of Babylon, they so hated and abhorred idols, that in the time of the Romans they chose rather to die than to allow the eagle, which was the Roman imperial arms, to be set up in their temple.]
And so in Isaiah 20:17 "In that day"— that is, in the day of the Lord's exaltation in the hearts, lives, and consciences of his people—"a man shall cast his idols of silver, and his idols of gold, which they made each one for himself to worship—to the moles and to the bats." In the day of God's exaltation they shall express such disdain and indignation against their idols, that they shall take not only those made of trees and stones—but even their most precious and costly idols, those which were made of silver and gold, and cast them to the moles and to the bats; that is, they shall cast them into such blind holes, and into such dark, filthy, nasty, and dusty corners, as moles make underground, and as bats roost in! Just so, when holiness comes to be exalted in the soul, then all a man's darling and bosom sins, which are his idols of silver, and his idols of gold—these are with a holy indignation cast to the moles and to the bats; they are so loathed, abandoned, and abhorred—that he desires they may be forever buried in oblivion, and never see the light more.
Idols were Ephraim's bosom-sin: Hosea 4:17, "Ephraim is joined," or glued, "to idols, let him alone;" but when the dew of grace and holiness fell upon Ephraim, as it did in chapter 14:5-7, "Then says Ephraim—What have I any more to do with idols?" verse 8. Now Ephraim loathes his idols as much or more than before he loved them! He now abandons and abominates them, though before he was as closely glued to them, as the wanton is glued to his Delilah, or as the enchanter is glued to the devil, from whom by no means he is able to stir. Ephraim becoming holy, cries out, "What have I any more to do with idols?" Oh, I have had to do with them too long and too much already! Oh, how does my soul now rise against them! how do I detest and abhor them! surely I will never have more to do with them.
But unholy hearts are very favorable to bosom-sins; they say of them, as Lot of Zoar, "Is it not a little one?" Gen. 19:20. And as David spoke of Absalom, 2 Sam. 18:5, "Deal gently for my sake with the young man, even with Absalom." "Beware that none touch the young man Absalom," verse 12. "And the king said—Is the young man Absalom safe?" verse 29. An unholy heart is as fond of his bosom-sins as Herod was of his Herodias; or as Demetrius was of his Diana; or as Naaman was of the idol Rimmon, which was the idol of the Syrians; or as Judas was of filching the bag; or as the Pharisees were of having the uppermost seats, and of being saluted in the market-place with those glorious titles, "Rabbi, Rabbi!"
Bosom-sins have at least a seeming sweetness in them; and therefore an unholy heart will not easily let them go. Let God frown or smile, stroke or strike, lift up or cast down, promise or threaten—yet he will hide and hold fast his darling 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 go of his bosom-lusts! He will rather let God go, and Christ go, and grace go, and heaven go, all go—than he will let some pleasurable or profitable lusts go!
An unholy heart may sigh over those sins, and make war upon those sins—which war against his honors, profits, or pleasures—and yet at the same time, make truce with those sins which are as right hands and right eyes! An unholy person may set his sword at the breasts of some sins—and yet at the same time his heart may be secretly courting of his bosom-sins.
But now a holy heart rises most against the Delilah in his bosom; against the Benjamin, the son, the sin, of his right hand. And thus you see how a holy heart hates and disdains all sins; he abhors small sins as well as great sins, secret sins as well as open sins; and bosom-sins as well as others sins which have not that delight and acceptance with the soul. Real holiness will never mix nor mingle itself with any sin, it will never incorporate with any corruption. Wine and water will easily mix—so the wine of gifts and the water of sin, the wine of civility and the water of vanity, the wine of morality and the water of impiety—will easily mix. But oil and water will not mix, they will not incorporate—just so, the oil of grace, the oil of holiness, will not mix; it will not incorporate with sin, the oil of holiness will be uppermost.
Mark, natural and acquired habits and excellencies, as a silver-tongued wit, an eloquent tongue, a strong brain, an iron memory, a learned head—all these, with some high speculations of holiness, and some profession of holiness, and some commendations of holiness, and some visible actings of holiness—are consistent with the love of lusts, with the dominion of sin! Witness the Scribes and Pharisees, Judas, Demas, and Simon Magus. But the real infused habits of true grace and holiness, will never admit of the dominion of any sin, whether great or little, whether secret or open. But,
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Part 6 HOLINESS, the Only Way to Happiness
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