ieve and
receive Christ for pardon of sin, it were not possible but your souls
would be engaged and constrained to endeavour to walk in all
well-pleasing. But it is an evident token of one that is not washed from
his sin, and believes not in Christ, if he conceive within his heart a
greater latitude and liberty to walk after the flesh, and be emboldened to
continue in sin, because of his grace and mercy; and yet such are the most
part of you. Upon what ground do you delay repentance? Upon what
presumption do ye continue in your sins, and put over the serious study of
holiness, till a more fit time? Is it not from an apprehension of the
grace and mercy of God, that ye think ye may return any time and be
accepted, and so ye may in the meantime take as much pleasure in sin as
you can, seeing ye may get leave also for God's mercy? I pray you
consider, that you have never apprehended God's mercy aright, ye are yet
in your sins, and certainly as yet are not washed from them.

"Put away the evil," &c. When the Spirit convinces a soul, he convinces a
man not only of evil doings but of the evil of his doings; not only of
sin, but of the sinfulness of sin; and not only of those actions which are
in themselves sinful, but also of the iniquity of holy things. I think no
man will come to wash in Christ's blood, till this be discovered. If he
see much wickedness, many evil doings, yet he will labour to wash away
these by his own tears, and repentance, and well-doing. As long as he hath
any good actions, as prayers, fasting, and such like, he will cover his
evil doings by them; he will spread the skirts of such righteousness over
his uncleanness; and when he hath hid it from his own eyes, he apprehends
that he hath hid it from God's also. He will wash his bloody hands with
many prayers, and thinks they may be clean enough. We see blasphemers of
God's name use to join a prayer for forgiveness with their oath and curse,
and they never trouble themselves more. O what mocking of God is this!
Now, as long as it is thus, there is no employment for the Son of God's
blood; they can do their own turn. Men will not come to Christ, because it
is the best way, if they see any else beside. None will come till they see
it is the only way; none can wash in Christ, except they wash all. If ye
have any thing that needs not washing, his blood is not for you; his
righteousness is not known, when ye establish all, or a part of your own.
I fear the most p