48 Chap. 3S. an E}xpofition upon the Book of Jo B. Verf. $. witchcraft, Vic. but even of idle thoughts, of vain words, oc undue pallions ; thefe hurt as well asgreater fins, commonly cal- ledwickedneffe. Thy wickednefs May hurt aman ae thouart. Thefewords (may hart) are not exprefl`ed in the Original Text, but they are plainly intended and implyed : Yet if we Clould leave themout of the reading, the fence would be the fame (Thywickednefs into hurt aman as thou art) That is, thy wickednefle is to the hurt or damage ofa man as thou art ; it may hurt thee or thy brother, it may hurt thy felf, or any like thy felf. Hence Note, Firfi, Thatfin is a=hurtfull thing. Wherefoever fin is, it doth mifchief. Sin is fo bad in the na- ture of ir, that we have reafon enough to avoid it and flye from it, and fin is fo dangerous in the Effetis of ir, that we have further, thoughnot more reafon to avoid ir, and flye from it ; indeed we ahouldrather (and that is our fpiritualnefhe in avoiding of fin ) avoid it becaufe of the evil that is in the Nature of ir, becaufe it rifeth up againft the Will, and breaks the holy Commands of God; we have grearefl reafon to depart from fin, becaufe it is a departure fromGod, becaufe of the blackneffe and filthineife of-it ; yet not onely the blackneffe of this Coal, 'but the fire, the eternal fire that is in ir, gives us caule enough to depart from ir. 'ris true, a truly gracious heart would not fin, though he might efcapeall the fad effeEls of1m, but when he hears . it is as hot as fire, and as deadly as poyfon, and as killing as the plague ; when hebears that it is the ruine of Perfons,and of Families of Church- es and 'Nations, when hehears that 'cis fin which bath done all the hurt and mifchief that ever was in the world, he fees he hath further reafon to dread ir, and depart from it. Again (Thy wickednefs may hurt a man.) Note ; Sindoth mifchiefto man, and to man efpecially. Sin dothmifchief all the world over; the whole Creation groans, ''er the mifchief and vanity, which fin hath brought upon ir, a2.)Sin hathdone damage to the whole Creation;but the great
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