304 The P iil' èf Evils, Or the thistgstvhereofyou be now afhan>ed? Sin, it is that which brings fhame, notonly to a man or wo- man in particular, but likewife toawhol Nati- on, when fin prevails. Prov. 14.34. Righteouf neßexalteth a Nation, butfin it a reproach to any Peo- ple. Afliktions are not a reproach- any further than as they be the fruit of fin, and then there is fhame in them (but this we fhall (peak of af- terward) but finis the proper caufe ofany re- proach and fhame : and certainly this Scripture bath been fulfilled concerning us; our fin bath been a reproach to this Nation : there was a time, this Nation Was honored among other Nations, and a terror to them ; but oflate fence we have finned and grown Supertlitious, and come neerer unto Poperie, fence there bath beenmore wickednefs amongus. This Nation háth been an exceeding reproach : we may ap- ply for that, that in the 13, ofHorea, according to the Interpretation ofmofi, when Ephraimffiake, trembling, he exaltedhin fifin Ifra el ; hit when he offended inBaal, he died; thus Interpreters carrie it : Therewas a time whenEphraim fpake, then was trembling in all Nations about him, and he exaltedhimfelfaboveother Nations: but when he finned in Baal, then he died, his Honor died, hewas a dead Nation, and no body regarded trim: True, time was, when England fpake, there was trembling, and Englandexalted him- felfabove other Nations; but fence we finned in Baal, and there bath been fomuch Idolatry and Superflition, we have been a deadNation inrefpedofwhat we have been before. Sin is. ~1r1li1111
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