Motives, Means to Stop Sinning

We finish a supplemental study on the Sixth Petition of the Lord’s Prayer from the Puritan John Whitlock’s sermons through Psalm 18:23 in his book, “The Great Duty of Keeping Ourselves from Iniquity,” with chapters 8-9 regarding special sins, “Some Motives to This Duty” and “Ways and Means to Keep Yourself from Iniquity.” Ch. 8, Motive 1) They will keep your soul from conversion if not a Christian, and if you are, they will much hinder and interrupt your communion with God; 2) They will push to to apostasy if not a Christian, and if you are, they will cause great decays of grace; 3) if you are unconverted, they will most torment your souls in hell forever, and if you are converted, they will cause the greatest wounds and gashes in your consciences here; 5) they will provoke God judicially to give you up to that lust; 6; these are the sins that the men of the world will take occasion from to reproach religion; 7) these are the sins that of all others will most weaken your graces and hinder their growth; and 8) they will most most put a sting into afflictions and into death and the thoughts of it, and make you incapable to bear the thoughts of death comfortably. Chapter 9, Direction 1) Endeavor to get a deep and thorough sense and conviction of the great sin and evil of this your special iniquity; 2) Be earnest and importunate in prayer to God … for pardon and power … special grace and strength against your special sins; 3) You who are believers … add faith in Christ and the lively, vigorous actings of it upon Him; 4) Make use of the sword of the Spirit and the examples of saints; 5) Starve and sever them; 6) Grow in their opposite graces.