Now the seventh device that Satan hath to draw the soul to sin is,
Device (7). By making the soul bold to venture upon the occasions of sin. Saith Satan, You may walk by the harlot’s door, though you won’t go into the harlot’s bed; you may sit and sup with the drunkard, though you won’t be drunk with the drunkard; you may look upon Jezebel’s beauty, and you may play and toy with Delilal,, though you do not commit wickedness with the one or the other; you may with Achan handle the golden wedge, though you do not steal the golden wedge, &c.
Now the remedies against this device of the devil are these:
Remedy (1). The first remedy is, solemnly fo dwell upon those scriptures that do expressly command us to avoid the occasions of sin, and the least appearance of evil: 1 Thes. v. 22, Abstain from all appearance of evil.” Whatsoever is heterodox, unsound, and unsavoury, shun it, as you would do a serpent in your way, or poison in your-meat.?
Theodosius tare the Arian’s arguments presented to him in writing, because he found them repugnant to the Scriptures; and Austin retracted even ironies only, because they had the appearance of lying. When God had commanded the Jews to abstain from swine’s flesh, they would not so much as name it, but in their common talk would call a sow another thing. To abstain from all appearance of evil, is to do nothing wherein sin appears, or which hath a shadow of sin. Bernard glosseth finely, Whatever 1s of evil show, or of ill report, that he may neither wound conscience nor credit” We must shun and be shy of the very show and shadow of sin, if either we tender our credit abroad, or our comfort at home. i! Repentance is a work that must be timely done, or utterly undone for ever. Aut penitendum aut pereundum.? Epiphanius saith that in the old law, when any dead body was carried by any house, they were enjoined to shut their doors and windows.
Quicquid est male coloratum.
It was good counsel that Livia gave her husband Augustus: Tt behoveth thee not only not to do wrong, but not to seem to do so,” &e.: so Jude 23, And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire, hating even the garment spotted by the flesh.” It is a phrase taken from legal uncleanness, which was contracted by touching the houses, the vessels, the garments, of unclean persons.! Under the law, men might not touch a menstruous cloth, nor God would not accept of a spotted peace-offering. So we must not only hate and avoid gross sins, but everything that may carry a savour or suspicion of sin; we must abhor the very signs and tokens of sin. So in Prov. v. 8, Remove thy way far from her, and come not nigh the door of her house.” He that would not be burnt, must dread the fire; he that would not hear the bell, must not meddle with the rope? To venture upon the occasion of sin, and then to pray, Lead us not into temptation,” is all one as to thrust thy finger into the fire, and then to pray that it might not be burnt So, in Prov. iv. 14, 15, you have another command: ‘ Enter not into the path of the wicked, and go not in the way of evil men: avoid it, and pass not by it, turn from it, and pass away.’ This triple gradation of Solomon sheweth with a great emphasis, how necessary 1t is for men to flee from all appearance of sin, as the seaman shuns sands and shelves, and as men shun those that have the plague-sores running upon them. As weeds do endanger the corn, as bad humours do endanger the blood, or as an infected house doth endanger the neighbourhood; so doth the company of the bad endanger those that are good. Entireness with wicked consorts is one of the strongest chains of hell, and binds us to a participation of both sin and punishment.
Remedy (2). The second remedy against this device of Satan is, solemnly to consider, That ordinarily there is no conquest over sin, without the soul turns from the occasion of sin. It is impossible for that man to get the conquest of sin, that plays and sports with the occasions of sin. God will not remove the temptation, except you turn from the occasion. It is a just and righteous thing with God, that he should fall into the pit, that will adventure to dance upon the brink of the pit, and that he should be a slave to sin, that will not flee from the occasions of sin. As long as there is fuel in our hearts for a temptation, we cannot be secure. He that hath gunpowder about him had need keep far enough off from sparkles. To rush upon the occasions of sin, is both to tempt ourselves, and to tempt Satan to tempt our souls. It is very rare that any soul plays with the occasions of sin, but that soul is ensnared by sin It is seldom that God keeps that soul from the acts of sin, that will not keep off from the occasions of sin. He that adventures upon the occasions of sin is as he that would quench the fire with oil, which is a fuel to maintain it, and
increase it. Al, souls, often remember how frequently you have been overcome by sin, when you have boldly gone upon the occasions of sin; look back, souls, to the day of your vanity, wherein you have been as easily conquered as tempted, vanquished as assaulted, when you have played with the occasions of sin. As you would for the future be kept from the acting of sin, and be made victorious over sin, oh! flee from the occasions of sin.
Remedy (3). The third remedy against this device of Satan is, seriously to consider, That other precious saints, that were once glovious on earth, and are now triumpling in heaven, have turned from the occasion of sin, as hell self; as you may see in Joseph, Gen. xxxix. 10, “And it came to pass, as she spake to Joseph day by day, that he hearkened not unto her, to lie by her, or to be with her.” Joseph was famous for all the four cardinal virtues, if ever any were. In this one temptation you may see his fortitude, justice, temperance, and prudence, mm that he shuns the occasion: for he would not so much as be with her. And that a man is indeed, that Le isin a temptation, which is but a tap to give vent to corruption. The Nazarite might not only not drink wine, but not taste a grape, or the husk of a grape. The leper was to shave his hair, and pare his nails. The devil counts a fit occasion half a conquest, for he knows that corrupt nature hath a sced-plot for all sin, which being drawn forth and watered by some sinful occasion, 1s soon set a-work to the producing of death and destruction. God will not remove the temptation, till we remove the occasion. A bird whiles aloft is safe, but she comes not near the snare without danger. The shunning the occasions of sin renders a man most like the best of men. A soul eminently gracious, dares not come near the train, though he be far off the blow. So Job xxxi. 1, I have made a covenant with mine eyes; why then should I think upon a maid % 1 set a watch at the entrance of my senses, that my soul might not by them be infected or endangered. The eye is the window of the soul, and if that should be always open, the soul might smart for it. A man may not look intently upon that, that he may not love entirely. The disciples were set a-gog, by beholding the beauty of the temple. It is best and safest to have the eye always fixed upon the highest and noblest objects: as the mariner’s eye is fixed upon the star, when their hand 1s on the stern. So David, when he was himself, he shuns the occasion of sin: Ps. xxvi. 4, 5. 1 have not sat with vain persons, neither will I go in with dissemblers; 1 have hated the congregation of evil doers, and will not sit with the wicked.’
Stories speak of some that could not sleep when they thought of the trophies of other worthies, that went before them. The highest and choicest examples are to some, and should be to all, very quickening and provoking; and oh that the examples of those worthy saints, David, Joseph, and Job, might prevail with all your souls to shun and! There are stories of heathens that would not look upon beauties, lest they should be ensnared. Democritus plucked out his own eyes to avoid the danger of uncleanness. 2002 N23. 1 cut a covenant. In making covenants, it was a custom among the Jews to cut some beast or other in picees, and so walk between the pieces, to signify that they desired God to destroy them that should break the covenant.
avoid the occasions of sin! Every one should strive to be like to them in grace, that they desire to be equal with in glory. He that shooteth at the sun, though he be far short, will shoot higher than he that aimeth at a shrub. It is best, and it speaks out much of Christ within, to eye the highest and the worthiest examples.
Remedy (4). The fourth remedy against this device of Satan is, solemnly to consider, That the avoiding the occasions of sin, is an evidence of grace, and that which lifts up a man above most other men in the world.! That a man is indeed, which he is in temptation; and when sinful occasions do present themselves before the soul, this speaks out both the truth and the strength of grace; when with Lot, a man can be chaste in Sodom, and with Timothy can live temperate in Asia, among the luxurious Ephesians; and with Job can walk uprightly in the land of Uz, where the people were profane in their lives, and superstitious in their worship; and with Daniel be holy in Babylon; and with Abraham righteous in Chaldea; and with Nehemiah, zealous in Damasco, &c. Many a wicked man is big and full of corruption, but shews it not for want of occasion; but that man is surely good, who in his course will not be bad, though tempted by occasions. A Christless soul is so far from refusing occasions when they come in his way, that he looks and longs after them, and rather than he will go without them he will buy them, not only with love or money, but also with the loss of his soul. Nothing but grace can fence a man against the occasions of sin, when he is strongly tempted thereunto. Therefore, as you would cherish a precious evidence in your own bosoms of the truth and strength of your graces, shun all sinful occasions.