Chap. 42. Expefttion upon the Bookof Jos. Verf. 8 , ted villany (Per, 29. 23.) All fin is folly, efpeciallyany great fin is fo. For, Fir[+, It is a folly to butt our fclves. No man canhurtus, if we do not hurt our felves by fin.The Apof+le Peter faith(a Epi { +. 3. 13.) Who ie he that will harmyou, ifye be followers of that which is good ? 'Tis Cfrange,that any fhould.Though it b: true e- nough that many have had, not only a will to harm them that fol- low good, but have a&ually done themmany and great outward harms ; yet this is a great truth, none can indeed harm them that followgood, becaufe.all harms turn to their good. Nothing can hurt us but onr fin. Secondly, Sin is folly, for in finning we firive with one that is toohard for us. Do we (faith St. Paul, t Cor. 10. 2.3.) pro- vokethe Lord tojealou`e ? (are we fo Pimple ?) are we flronger thanbe? Thirdly, It is folly to do that by which we can get no good , that's the part ofa fool (Rom. 6. 2t.) What fruit haveye of thole things whereof ye are norm afbamed ? What have ye got by them ? have ye made any gains or earnings toboat+ of? the end of thofe things is deatb;& is it not folly to begin that which ends indeath, and that anever -ending, aneternal death. Fourthly, It is folly tofin, for by that, at bet[, we run a hazard of our bell portion, for fading pleafures, and perifhing profits. If we have anypleafure by fin, it is but pleafure for a fealon, and that avery (hors one too. What a foolifh thing is it to venture things that are incorruptible, for perithing things ? It were a great folly for aman to venture gold again{+ graft: they do infi- nitely more foolifhlywho fin againff the, Lord ; for all that they can get by ir,is not fo much, towhat they hazard, as grafs to gold (c912at.16. 26.) what is a man profited, if be [hall gain the whole world, and lofe bit owls foul ? or what (hall a man give in ex- change for hie foul ? Asall flefh is gars, fo all that Beth luf+erh 'after as no better. What kind of Merchants, what kind of Ex- change-men are they, that will traffick or truck away their fouls, for the profits or . pleafures of fin ? and 'cis for one of thefe that tnof+, ifnot all men, traffick away their fouls. Zzzzz z 9e7 Secondly,
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