possibly unclothe themselves of some practices, but they put on new
clothing, they reform some passages for fear of censure, or shame, or such
like. They are found, it may be, blameless, either because so educated, or
their disposition is against particular gross sins, but they are not
clothed upon with holiness and well doing, and so they are but naked and
bare in God's sight, not beautiful. They have swept their house, and some
devil put out or kept out, but because the good Spirit enters not,
ordinarily seven worse enter again into such men.

There is a great moment(290) of persuasion in this order of the
exhortation, "Wash you," and then, "put away the evil of your doings," and
"cease to do evil." Do not continue in your former customs. It is strange,
how contrary our hearts are to God, we use to turn grace unto wantonness,
we use to take more liberty to sin, when we conceive we are pardoned. But
I do not know any more strong and constraining persuasion to forsake sin,
than the consideration of the forgiving of it might yield. O what an
inducement and grand argument to renouncing of evils, is the consideration
of the remission of them! This is even that ye are now called unto, who
have fled to Jesus to escape wrath what should ye be taken up with, in all
the world but this,--to live to him henceforth, who died for us,--to forsake
our own old way, and that from the constraining principle of love to him,
2 Cor. v. 14, 15. O that ye would enforce your own hearts with such a
thought, when there are any solicitations to sin, to former lusts! Should
I, that am dead to sin, live any longer therein? Rom. vi. 2. Should I who
am washed from such pollutions, return again to the pollutions of the
world? Should I again defile myself, who am cleansed by so precious blood,
and forget him that washed me? Should I return with the dog to the vomit,
and with the sow to the puddle? God forbid I pray you consider. If you be
Christians indeed, give a proof of it. What hath Jesus Christ done for
you? He hath given himself, his own precious blood, a ransom for us, will
ye not give up yourselves to him? Will not ye give him your sins and
lusts, which are not yourself, but enemies to yourself? Will not ye put
away these ills, that he came into this world to destroy? Art thou a
Christian, and are there yet so many sins, and works of the devil reigning
in thee, and set up in God's sight?

What an inconsistency is this! If thou be his follo