Sincerity, or, The upright mans walk to heaven in two parts shewing I. that sincerity is the true way to happiness, II. that the keeping of our selves from our own iniquity is the true way to sincerity / delivered in several sermons in the parish church of St. Michael in Long-Stratton Norfolk by James Oldfield, late minister there.

1. Keep your selves from this sin, be∣cause 'tis a beloved sin; this hath been proved already in the Doctrinal part, that 'tis the sin that we love most dear∣ly. Now if it be so, a sin that we love therefore let us cast it out; this is the Gospel Rule, if ever we would be hap∣py, we must love that which we natu∣rally hate, and hate that which we na∣turally love. A natural man hates the light and loves darkness, hates God, loves the World, hates Christ, loves sin, now if ever this man be saved he must be brought to this, to hate what he

loved, and to love what he hated, he must love the light and hate darkness, he must love God and hate the World, he must love Christ and hate sin. Now here lies the strength of the motive, if there be any sin that we love we must hate it, cast it out because 'tis beloved of us; 'tis our love to this sin, that makes this sin stick and cleave so close and so fast to us, 8. Cantic. 7. so may we say here many waters, many tears, yea whole rivers and floods of Repen∣tance can scarce drown our beloved sin.

Here are three things especially to move us to cast out this sin upon this very account that 'tis our beloved sin.

1. We love it; what love sin? do you know what you do when you love sin? sin is communion with the Devil, and do you love communion with the Devil? there is none of you all but would be ready to spit in my face, if I should tell you you love the Devil, and you love his company; why yes, if you love any sin you love communi∣on with the Devil. Our Saviour calls sin 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, 8. John 44. pecu∣liaritèr

dicit? de amatoria cupidine. scapu∣la. Now the Devil he loves sin, and if you love sin too, here is your com∣munion with the Devil; what saith the Apostle to the Corinthians, 1 Cor. 10. 20. He that worships an Idol as the Heathens did, he hath fellowship with Devils; he that loves any sin sets up an Idol in his heart, and serves and wor∣ships this sin as much as the Heathens did their Idols, therefore he hath fel∣lowship with Devils; you see what it is to love sin; to keep a beloved sin in ones heart, is to have fellowship and communion with Devils; all the Devils in Hell, riot, and feast, and make mer∣ry in that man's heart. Are you not a∣fraid of this, O then let this be an Ar∣gument to cast out this sin, because 'tis a beloved sin.

2. If we love any sin we cannot love Christ, this sin will make us leave him and forsake him. Judas his beloved sin made him betray Christ, O what an horrid thing was that; and Brethren, are there not many Judasses in the World, that will betray Christ to satisfie their beloved sin. Every man that hath a

beloved sin in his heart, is a very Judas in his heart to Christ, let Christ and his sin stand in competition, and you shall see that man will be the greatest enemy to Christ, 3. Philip. 18. but who were these, see verse 19. here were their Gods their beloved bellies, and their be∣loved earthly things, their beloved sins, these were Christ's enemies, 2 Tim. 4. 10. what's the reason Demas forsook Christ, why his beloved sin made him, he loved the World; what saith Christ, 6. Matth. 24. so is the case here be∣tween Christ and Sin; he that loves sin hates Christ, and he that loves Christ hates sin; the reason of this is plain, Christ comes to destroy sin, therefore he that loves sin cannot endure Christ, and sin that dishonours Christ, therefore he that loves Christ cannot but hate sin. Christ and Sin are like Caesar and Pompey—nec ferre partem Caesarve priorem Pompeiusve parem—sin will not endure Christ to be above it, and Christ will not endure sin to be equal with him. Now here's a tryal of your love, are you resolved to love sin, then you must part with Christ? are you re∣solved

to love Christ, then you must part with your beloved sin; consider seriously of this, whether a beloved sin will countervail your loss of Christ.

3. We cannot honour Christ better, than by parting with our beloved sin; O the Lord Jesus will take this very kindly at our hands; when a man shall say, Lord I have a sin, a lust within me, that I love most dearly, 'tis my darling O I take great pleasure and delight in it, 'tis not all the World shall make me part with it, but Lord at thy command I leave it, rather than I will offend thee I will have no more to do with it, yea rather than I will not love thee, I will hate even my beloved sin. O Brethren, Christ will take this wery kindly at our hands; O that every one of us could say so! as the Martyr said when he was wished to recant and save his life, no saith he, if every hair on my head were a life, I would lay them all down for the sake of my Lord Christ, so should we say, if every hair on our heads were a beloved sin, we would part with them all for the sake of Christ. Here is a true sign of an upright heart, and there

is no other sign of it, for a man to leave other sins it signifieth little or no∣thing, but when it comes to our belov∣ed sin, whether we will part with our Benjamin or no, herein will our love to Christ be tryed, 22. Gen. 11, 12. so will Christ say, O my dear Soul, now I know that thou lovest me, seeing thou hast not withheld thy sin, thine only sin, thy beloved sin, but hast even part∣ed with that for my sake. O Brethren, you will shew more love to Christ, and respect to Christ in parting with this one sin, than with a thousand other sins. And thus you see there is great reason, why we should keep our selves from our own sin, upon this account, because 'tis our beloved sin.