A Difcourfe ofDivine Me4itation. . 897 Suppofe I were Medita;;;;g;;;,n Sin ; co~fider the effeCts of Sin, the fail of the Angels,~ They were t~e Courtiers of He.ve11, and the Alfociates of God; but Sin is that which Chap. I • ~~nt~:'r~~f~ytt~~rP~y~o~::~::~0~ea:J~,ifJn~~~:~~(~~~~fc~,1:Jcit~~y~d t~~e,eJ~oft~ Race of Mankind. If you look upon the effeCts ofSin, which are inward, there you fhalllindTerroursofConfcience; there's a Spiritual Tophet which Sin bath inkindled: Sin is that which caufeth a man to walk up and down with a Hell in his own Bofom. If you look outward, upon men's Bodies, and confider the effeCts of Sin, all the Difeafes from the fcorching Feaver, to the lingring Confumption; all are the cffells of Sin ; and chiefly if you regard the Terrours of another Life, if you confider the never dying Worm, and the ever living Flames; thefe things difcover the Nature of Sin. 2. That fo this work may be the more efficacious upon your affeCtions ; ma · nage it as by Argument, fo by Comparifons, "<<d thefe may be divided into two things. 1. By Similitudes. , • • By Comparingthofe thingswhicb arc oppofiteonetoanother. Fir{!, By Similitudes : They have an excellen( force to prevail upon the Soul, they are of great ufe, both to inligbten the U nderllanding, and inflame the afleftions. ~00~~~~~~~~~;.:fi~~~~r~~0tt~~do:I~J~:I~tr"~~~:~:i~~~:~~ ~h~~eist~~fiJ;,u\~~~~~~ to the Sight of a Spiritual thing that is invifible ; and therefore our Saviour Trained ' up his Difciples by Earthly Similitudes: You·lmow a double Medium helps the Sight, ~~d~0;~~1,~e~~~~~;~:~~~P.o:f."~a~~~~ e;~~~)~~~s i~~a~~eo~rd~ff~~o~~di~~ Naturally love PiCtures; now a Similitude is the PiB:ure of Truth, for Fancy to look ~~~::az~h/d~i !~~~~~h ;~r:1i~~~~~;:~t~~\1 ? }~~ ,~;~ 7f B].i,r;:::;~Jn~::kn~~ We all of us fear Death: Then why do I not fearSm? which 1sthe Death of the noble parr, which dellroyes the Soul , Thus ifyou find your Hearts dull and f!uggifh in the Duties of Religion, compare thy felf with the Creatures beneath thee, ra~~~~~~~e~s~~t~~~~:~:~~·Te!~~r ~f~h~frdo~J1e~~:: l~~rw~;e~~ri btw~r~e~~~"J wander from tlie wayes of Holioefs? They will contradi8: their private Nature, to f~r0l. ~~~d~:i~~J ~f~s0~~t~~dwfai~ ;~~h1~ i~r~~~~'~; ~~~~a~h;~~~:r~d:;~!\: 3~~ i~ ~~~~~;:,~!~:~: !i~if:ob~~?,.J.1~i~etZ;~,' ~~~m put it into a Temporal cafe, M•l"h· •·•· Second!;; Manage this Comparifon by w~y ofDiffimi!itude, and compare things that are unlike one \fith another, ::tn~d this \vill wpik on our a~eClions. For inftance> corn~ pare the · Eafu)efi of Chtifi:s Yoke with the Bondage of Sin, and this will raife your alf~Etions , alld iniender them in reference t'O the Ldrd j<lfus. Compare the Be.. ty of Holinefs with the Exorbitances of a carnal Life : Confider every Sinner bath many Lords, many Tyrants over him ; but he that is a Servant of Chrill, bath but one Maller, who is full of MeckneG and Sweetnefs. Thefe Lords command contrary things; and thus while one Lull ravifhes the Soul to it felf, another Hales it to another ObjeCt; w'hereas all the Commands ofChrill are regular, and they all Concenter in one end, to advance the Glory of God. Then confider the different fruit ; thofe that are Slaves to their Lulls, have Sin for their Work, and Hell fortheir Wages; their Service is Drudgery, and their recompence Eternal Death : But the ways ofGod are Liberty here, and Glory hereafter. The Commands of the Gofpel, are not Fetters, but Ornaments and they bring a Crown ; how would this caufc the Soul with a greater willingnefs to fubm it to the Commands of the Gofpel ! Shall wicked Men draw Sin as with Cart-Ropes? that is, fhall they Toyle and Spend themfelves in the }~aif~~~~~~ Lults ? And !hall I refufe obedience to that God whole Service is per-1 '• S· •8· X X X XX 2 Thirt~Jr,
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